Administrator

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Threads
302
Messages
594
Reaction score
2,652
Vehicles
Mach-E
Country flag
[7/27/21 UPDATE]

Ford Confirms Romulus, Mich., as Location of Ford Ion Park – Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence | Ford Media Center

IonParklogo.jpg

  • Ford’s new collaborative learning laboratory – Ford Ion Park – to be based in Romulus, Mich., aimed at driving high-volume battery cell delivery, better range and lower costs for customers
  • This global battery center of excellence becomes home base for researching new technologies, piloting advanced manufacturing techniques that will allow Ford to quickly scale breakthrough battery cell designs and optimizing all aspects of the value chain – from mining to recycling
  • Part of a $185 million investment, Ford Ion Park will help develop and manufacture lithium ion and solid-state battery cells and arrays to accelerate our electrification efforts
  • Based in southeast Michigan, Ford Ion Park features a cross-functional team of up to 200 engineers, researchers, purchasing and finance leaders
DEARBORN, Mich., July 27, 2021 – Ford today announces Romulus, Mich., will be the home of its new global battery center of excellence – Ford Ion Park – which is accelerating the company’s research and development of battery and battery cell technology – including future battery manufacturing.

“Ford already is delivering on our plan to lead the electric revolution with strong new vehicles including Mustang Mach-E, 2022 E-Transit available late 2021 and the 2022 F-150 Lightning available from spring next year,” said Anand Sankaran, Ford Ion Park director. “The new lab will help Ford speed up the battery development process to deliver even more capable, affordable batteries and is part of Ford’s renewed commitment to making Michigan a centerpiece of its focus on EVs.”

A new collaborative learning lab opening next year, Ford Ion Park represents $100 million of Ford’s $185 million investment in developing, testing, and building vehicle battery cells and cell arrays. It is part of the company’s $30 billion investment in electrification by 2025 and a renewed commitment to making Michigan a centerpiece of its focus on EVs.

In 2010, Ford committed to making Michigan its center of excellence for electric vehicles and chose the lab’s Romulus location with collaboration and expedited tech sharing in mind. The company has committed to assemble its all-new, all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning, with foreign and domestics parts, at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. adding 500 direct jobs with the support of the Good Jobs for Michigan Program. Ford also repositioned its half-century-old Van Dyke Transmission Plant in May – renaming it the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center and expanding its production line to produce electric motors and electric transaxles for hybrid and fully electric vehicles, retaining a total of 225 Michigan jobs.

“Ford’s investment in battery research and development in Romulus will support hundreds of good-paying jobs, attract innovative talent to Michigan, and help us continue leading the world in advanced mobility and manufacturing,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Ford is an American icon that has left its mark on the world over a century, and with the research that will take place at Ford Ion Park, they will shape the next century while reducing emissions and accelerating electrification.”

“We are thankful for the support of the MEDC and the Michigan Strategic Fund in helping establish Ford Ion Park in Romulus,” said Sankaran.

Ford will refurbish an existing 270,000 sq.-ft. facility to house up to 200 engineers and include world-class pilot-scale equipment for electrode, cell and array design and manufacturing engineering and innovation.

The lab will use state-of-the-art technology to pilot new manufacturing techniques that will allow Ford to research and quickly scale breakthrough battery cell designs with novel materials as part of its plan to vertically integrates battery cells and batteries.

From mines to recycling, the Ford Ion Park team is working with experts across the company, including experts at Ford’s previously announced Battery Benchmarking and Test Laboratory, Ford Customer Service Division, plus key suppliers and partners.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

**ORIGINAL POST**

Ford Accelerates Battery R&D with Dedicated Team, New Global Battery Center of Excellence Named Ford Ion Park
Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence BatteryFacility_AllenPark_31

  • Building on nearly two decades of battery expertise, Ford creates new global battery center of excellence – called Ford Ion Park – in southeast Michigan; cross-functional team in place to drive high-volume battery cell delivery, better range and lower costs for customers
  • Ford Ion Park will use state-of-the-art equipment to pilot new manufacturing techniques that will allow Ford to quickly scale breakthrough battery cell designs with novel materials once the company vertically integrates battery cells and batteries
  • $185 million collaborative learning lab coming next year will develop and manufacture lithium ion and solid-state vehicle battery cells and arrays, test manufacturing approaches, while team optimizes all aspects of the value chain – from mines to recycling
DEARBORN, Mich., April 27, 2021 – Ford today announces a new global battery center of excellence – called Ford Ion Park – to accelerate research and development of battery and battery cell technology – including future battery manufacturing.

“We’re already scaling production of all-electric vehicles around the world as more customers experience and crave the fun-to-drive benefits of electric vehicles with zero emissions,” said Hau Thai-Tang, Ford's chief product platform and operations officer. “Investing in more battery R&D ultimately will help us speed the process to deliver more, even better, lower cost EVs for customers over time.”

The company is building on nearly two decades of battery expertise by centralizing a cross-functional team of 150 experts in battery technology development, research, manufacturing, planning, purchasing, quality and finance to help Ford more quickly develop and manufacture battery cells and batteries.

The Ford Ion Park team also is exploring better integration and innovation opportunities across all aspects of the value chain – from mines to recycling – working with all teams within Ford, including experts at Ford’s new Battery Benchmarking and Test Laboratory, Ford Customer Service Division, plus key suppliers and partners.

“We are creating new tools and solutions we need for a carbon-free, affordable and better future,” Thai-Tang said. “We are modernizing Ford’s battery development and manufacturing capabilities so we can better control costs and production variables in-house and scale production around the world with speed and quality.”

The Ford Ion Park team already is underway. In addition, a $185 million collaborative learning lab in Southeast Michigan that is dedicated to developing, testing and building vehicle battery cells and cell arrays opens late next year.

This world-class 200,000 sq.-ft. learning lab will include pilot-scale equipment for electrode, cell and array design and manufacturing and will use state-of-the-art technology to pilot new manufacturing techniques that will allow Ford to quickly scale breakthrough battery cell designs with novel materials once the company vertically integrates battery cells and batteries.

Anand Sankaran will lead the Ford Ion Park team as its new director. A 30-year veteran of Ford, Sankaran brings to the new position decades of battery and electrification expertise – including his current role as the company’s director of Electrified Systems Engineering, as a 1999 Henry Ford Technology Award winner for his electrification work at the Ford Research Lab and a product development leader who applied his research and technical innovations on key production vehicles, including the award-winning original Escape Hybrid, 2021 Mustang Mach-E and 2022 F-150 Hybrid.

Sankaran also holds 32 U.S. patents in automotive power electronics and hybrid vehicle technologies and is a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

“Ford’s modern EV journey started with Escape Hybrid in 2004, the world’s first hybrid SUV, and it continues today – all driven by the inspiration to deliver no-compromise vehicles for a better world,” he said.

The Ford Ion Park team will ensure batteries are optimized for its diverse customers – from daily commuters to performance enthusiasts to commercial vehicle fleet operators.

The team will apply customer insights to optimize battery technologies that deliver the performance and capability truck, utility, commercial vehicle and fleet owners value most. That means creating distinct batteries and technologies to deliver meaningful towing and off-road capability for truck customers as well as stop-and-go driving efficiency for fleet operators in cities worldwide.

New lab to support Ford Ion Park development work

Ford’s new Battery Benchmarking and Test Laboratory in Allen Park, Mich., will help quickly test and identify the right battery cells and chemistries to power Ford’s growing EV lineup to best meet different customers’ needs.

“While some automakers have placed their bets, we are going to use this lab with the help of partners and suppliers to fine-tune our batteries to our vehicles and customer needs – exploring next-generation lithium ion solutions, including solid-state batteries,” Sankaran said.

Ford’s Battery Benchmarking and Test Laboratory, which opened late last year, has 150 test chambers and 325 channels for development work. Experts at the $100 million, 185,000 sq.-ft. lab already have analyzed more than 150 types of battery cells.

The state-of-the-art lab houses battery cell and pack test rooms, test benches and benchmarking facilities to support battery cell design validation, controls calibration, pack development and pilot battery pack projects with different chemistries. The lab team can replicate the performance of full-scale production batteries under extreme weather and customer use cases, speeding implementation in future vehicles.

Gaining momentum

Ford this year announced its commitment to invest at least $22 billion through 2025 to deliver connected, electrified vehicles, building on its areas of strength, starting with EV versions of its most popular nameplates.

In North America, the Ford Mustang Mach-E already has found early sales success. Plus, the all-electric Ford Transit is set to go on sale late this year and the all-electric F-150 arrives by mid-2022.

In Europe, Ford is moving to an all-electric lineup by 2030, with its commercial vehicle range 100 percent zero-emissions capable – all-electric or plug-in hybrid – by 2024. Ford also is investing $1 billion in a new electric vehicle manufacturing center in Cologne to build a high-volume all-electric passenger vehicle for European customers starting in 2023.

In China, Ford is preparing to produce the Mustang Mach-E for local customers later this year, and recently announced it is establishing a BEV division with a direct sales model and network that will reach 20 major cities across China this year. In addition, Ford has partnered with China’s State Grid and NIO to offer EV customers access to more than 300,000 public charging stations, of which 160,000 are fast-charging, in more than 340 cities across the country.

Proven electrification expertise

Ford has been actively involved in battery research and electric vehicles, starting with Henry Ford and Thomas Edison. To date, the company has secured more than 2,500 U.S. patents in electrification technologies, with another 4,300 patents pending.

Since 2004, Ford has sold more than 1 million hybrids, plug-in hybrids and all-electric vehicles and integrated four generations of batteries into its vehicles. By year-end, the company will be manufacturing electrified vehicles and supporting technologies at more than 15 powertrain and vehicle assembly plants globally.

Ford has assembled hybrid battery packs and electric motors in Michigan since 2012, after making the state its center of excellence for vehicle electrification in 2010.

That same year, Ford invested $135 million to design, engineer and produce these components for hybrids. It included a combined 170 jobs at the Rawsonville plant to assemble batteries and VanDyke Transmission plant to assemble e-motors, plus hiring more than 50 electric vehicle engineers.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence BatteryFacility_AllenPark_2


Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence BatteryFacility_AllenPark_3


Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence BatteryFacility_AllenPark_7


Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence BatteryFacility_AllenPark_11


Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence BatteryFacility_AllenPark_14


Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence BatteryFacility_AllenPark_19
 
Last edited:

mburtsvt

Well-Known Member
First Name
Michael
Joined
Dec 27, 2020
Threads
26
Messages
530
Reaction score
743
Location
California
Vehicles
Just 1 Rapid Red Mach-E
Occupation
Retired
Country flag
Makes you wonder what the role of hybrid vehicles will be in the future. As battery tech advances they will become less and less relevant.
 
Last edited:

dbsb3233

Well-Known Member
First Name
TimCO
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Threads
54
Messages
9,299
Reaction score
10,814
Location
Colorado, USA
Vehicles
2021 Mustang Mach-E FE, 2023 Bronco Sport OB
Occupation
Retired
Country flag
Makes you wonder what the role of hybrid vehicles will be in the future. As battery tech advances they will become less and less irrelevant.
Can look at that two ways. Better batteries could actually help hybrids. Instead of 30-mile PHEVs, we could see 60-mile PHEVs. Which puts nearly all local miles on battery for most people (with at-home daily recharges). But still includes gas for road trips, without the slow and harder-to-find DCFC problem.

Better batteries make both BEV and hybrid better.

And it may still take a hybrid to get 400 miles out of something the size of an Explorer, Suburban, Expedition, etc. Although I guess it depends just how far in the future we're talking.
 

SteelMach

Well-Known Member
Joined
Feb 12, 2021
Threads
3
Messages
666
Reaction score
725
Location
Michigan
Vehicles
2021 Mustang Mach-E
Country flag
This is incredibly exciting! :D One step closer to in-house cell production and the rapid acceleration of EV volumes. No more months and months of waiting (hopefully) for future BEV customers.
 


macchiaz-o

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jonathan
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Threads
168
Messages
8,157
Reaction score
15,299
Location
🔑 ]not/A/gr8'Place.2.store-mEyePassword[ 👀
Vehicles
MY21 J1 Premium RWD SR
Country flag
The B-roll video attached to Ford's press release shows electric motors being produced at Ford's Van Dyke plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/permalink.html?VideoId=6250692627001

Comparing the imagery to the photos shown at the Mach-E reveal, these appear to be the 210 kW rear motor stators (and front motor stator for GT). From the video, the part number is depicted as HF45.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence 1619589606821


This also confirms the production changes at the Van Dyke plant that were reported in November 2019: https://fordauthority.com/2019/11/ford-will-build-electric-motors-at-van-dyke-transmission-plant/
 

SteveUk

Well-Known Member
Joined
Nov 10, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
2,029
Reaction score
1,525
Location
Warrington
Vehicles
Mustang Mache with crap keys
Country flag
Is there any wear and tear on these motors or will they theoretically last forever?
 

HuntingPudel

Well-Known Member
First Name
Steve
Joined
Mar 23, 2021
Threads
65
Messages
8,064
Reaction score
9,625
Location
Bay Area, CA
Vehicles
2021 MME GT-PE, 1979 Fire-Am, 1972 K/5 Blazer
Occupation
Engineering
Country flag
Is there any wear and tear on these motors or will they theoretically last forever?
Bearings and winding insulation come to mind as wear items.
 

dbsb3233

Well-Known Member
First Name
TimCO
Joined
Dec 30, 2019
Threads
54
Messages
9,299
Reaction score
10,814
Location
Colorado, USA
Vehicles
2021 Mustang Mach-E FE, 2023 Bronco Sport OB
Occupation
Retired
Country flag
This is incredibly exciting! :D One step closer to in-house cell production and the rapid acceleration of EV volumes. No more months and months of waiting (hopefully) for future BEV customers.
There could still be months and months of waiting. Supply line constraints could still happen, whether the batteries are made in-house or not. Acquiring raw materials could still be a problem. New model demand could also out-pace the production capacity of the in-house battery plant. Or of course something like another pandemic could hit that caused most of the MME delays.

Most of the potential pitfalls still exist, just shifted a little with in-house. There's also a potential downside -- investing $billions in a battery plant and locking into a particular battery technology that then becomes surpassed by battery manufacturers that can be more flexible. Ford will probably gain cost savings moving battery production in-house, but they'll probably lose flexibility to adjust as quickly compared to 3rd party suppliers that are building new plants every year for the latest/greatest.
 

balthisar

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jim
Joined
Dec 10, 2020
Threads
0
Messages
171
Reaction score
273
Location
SE Michigan
Vehicles
2004 Expedition; 2021 Mach E Premium AWD Extended
Occupation
Engineer@FoMoCo
Country flag
The Chairman of Ford today said about vertical integration, that his grandfather said not to lose sight of the fact that the second word of the name of the company is "motor"; don't outsource the key stuff.

I may be misremember this. It may be that the CEO said this about the chairman's grandfather.

(Also, another executive said, "We didn't leave the stone age for lack of stones"!)
 

RonTCat

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ron
Joined
Jul 21, 2020
Threads
27
Messages
1,110
Reaction score
2,927
Location
USA
Vehicles
Mach-E wannabuy
Country flag
The B-roll video attached to Ford's press release shows electric motors being produced at Ford's Van Dyke plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.

https://media.ford.com/content/fordmedia/fna/us/en/permalink.html?VideoId=6250692627001

Comparing the imagery to the photos shown at the Mach-E reveal, these appear to be the 210 kW rear motor stators (and front motor stator for GT). From the video, the part number is depicted as HF45.

Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence 1619590185239


This also confirms the production changes at the Van Dyke plant that were reported in November 2019: https://fordauthority.com/2019/11/ford-will-build-electric-motors-at-van-dyke-transmission-plant/

HF45 is a transmission.
H = Hybrid
F = Front drive
45 = Torque capacity/10, or 450 Nm (~331 ftlbs)
 

RonTCat

Well-Known Member
First Name
Ron
Joined
Jul 21, 2020
Threads
27
Messages
1,110
Reaction score
2,927
Location
USA
Vehicles
Mach-E wannabuy
Country flag
Is there any wear and tear on these motors or will they theoretically last forever?
I can't remember if the motor bearing balls were spec'd as ceramic, think they were, but not sure. If so, they should have a substantial lifespan (+10yrs).
 

macchiaz-o

Well-Known Member
First Name
Jonathan
Joined
Nov 25, 2019
Threads
168
Messages
8,157
Reaction score
15,299
Location
🔑 ]not/A/gr8'Place.2.store-mEyePassword[ 👀
Vehicles
MY21 J1 Premium RWD SR
Country flag
HF45 is a transmission.
H = Hybrid
F = Front drive
45 = Torque capacity/10, or 450 Nm (~331 ftlbs)
Ah, good to know. Some random clips from Van Dyke thrown into the B-roll for good measure then.

Or this confirms that there's a gas engine in the Mach-E (the H for hybrid) and a transmission to move power from the electric motor to the wind noise generator. ;)
 
OP
OP
Administrator

Administrator

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Aug 29, 2019
Threads
302
Messages
594
Reaction score
2,652
Vehicles
Mach-E
Country flag
UPDATE:

Ford Confirms Romulus, Mich., as Location of Ford Ion Park – Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence | Ford Media Center

Ford Mustang Mach-E Ford Confirms Romulus, MI as Site of FORD ION PARK, Company’s New Global Battery Center of Excellence IonParklogo

  • Ford’s new collaborative learning laboratory – Ford Ion Park – to be based in Romulus, Mich., aimed at driving high-volume battery cell delivery, better range and lower costs for customers
  • This global battery center of excellence becomes home base for researching new technologies, piloting advanced manufacturing techniques that will allow Ford to quickly scale breakthrough battery cell designs and optimizing all aspects of the value chain – from mining to recycling
  • Part of a $185 million investment, Ford Ion Park will help develop and manufacture lithium ion and solid-state battery cells and arrays to accelerate our electrification efforts
  • Based in southeast Michigan, Ford Ion Park features a cross-functional team of up to 200 engineers, researchers, purchasing and finance leaders
DEARBORN, Mich., July 27, 2021 – Ford today announces Romulus, Mich., will be the home of its new global battery center of excellence – Ford Ion Park – which is accelerating the company’s research and development of battery and battery cell technology – including future battery manufacturing.

“Ford already is delivering on our plan to lead the electric revolution with strong new vehicles including Mustang Mach-E, 2022 E-Transit available late 2021 and the 2022 F-150 Lightning available from spring next year,” said Anand Sankaran, Ford Ion Park director. “The new lab will help Ford speed up the battery development process to deliver even more capable, affordable batteries and is part of Ford’s renewed commitment to making Michigan a centerpiece of its focus on EVs.”

A new collaborative learning lab opening next year, Ford Ion Park represents $100 million of Ford’s $185 million investment in developing, testing, and building vehicle battery cells and cell arrays. It is part of the company’s $30 billion investment in electrification by 2025 and a renewed commitment to making Michigan a centerpiece of its focus on EVs.

In 2010, Ford committed to making Michigan its center of excellence for electric vehicles and chose the lab’s Romulus location with collaboration and expedited tech sharing in mind. The company has committed to assemble its all-new, all-electric Ford F-150 Lightning, with foreign and domestics parts, at the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. adding 500 direct jobs with the support of the Good Jobs for Michigan Program. Ford also repositioned its half-century-old Van Dyke Transmission Plant in May – renaming it the Van Dyke Electric Powertrain Center and expanding its production line to produce electric motors and electric transaxles for hybrid and fully electric vehicles, retaining a total of 225 Michigan jobs.

“Ford’s investment in battery research and development in Romulus will support hundreds of good-paying jobs, attract innovative talent to Michigan, and help us continue leading the world in advanced mobility and manufacturing,” said Governor Gretchen Whitmer. “Ford is an American icon that has left its mark on the world over a century, and with the research that will take place at Ford Ion Park, they will shape the next century while reducing emissions and accelerating electrification.”

“We are thankful for the support of the MEDC and the Michigan Strategic Fund in helping establish Ford Ion Park in Romulus,” said Sankaran.

Ford will refurbish an existing 270,000 sq.-ft. facility to house up to 200 engineers and include world-class pilot-scale equipment for electrode, cell and array design and manufacturing engineering and innovation.

The lab will use state-of-the-art technology to pilot new manufacturing techniques that will allow Ford to research and quickly scale breakthrough battery cell designs with novel materials as part of its plan to vertically integrates battery cells and batteries.

From mines to recycling, the Ford Ion Park team is working with experts across the company, including experts at Ford’s previously announced Battery Benchmarking and Test Laboratory, Ford Customer Service Division, plus key suppliers and partners.
Sponsored

 
 




Top