In terms of scale, the new plant’s 21-gWh output would create the materials for enough batteries to power 80,000 medium-duty trucks a year or up to 40,000 electric buses, Rumsey said. Daimler, maker of Freightliner, Mercedes-Benz and Fuso brands, and Paccar, which builds Kenworth and Peterbilt semis, will use them for trucks. Cummins’ Accelera may focus on using them in buses and medium-duty vehicles as well as stationary energy storage systems, Rumsey said. That project also relies on LFP tech from a Chinese partner, Contemporary Amperex Technology Limited, or CATL, the world’s top battery maker.Įach partner will decide how to use cells in their products. Nearly every other major new North American battery plant announced over the past year is focused on lithium-ion cells, though Ford is investing $3.5 billion for a new factory in Michigan that will make both LFP cells and nickel cobalt manganese lithium-ion batteries. “This is about creating a plant here in the U.S., building a supply chain and U.S. “For this LFP chemistry, EVE really has a leading solution and the technology manufacturing know-how,” Rumsey told Forbes. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, will review the deal to ensure there are no problems with EVE’s participation, the companies said in an emailed statement. The Cummins-Daimler-Paccar joint venture could be delayed getting off the ground because one of the partners, EVE, is a China-based company. Electric truck startup Nikola had to recall all of its semis this year to fix a glitch causing battery packs to overheat. LFP battery chemistries also have another big advantage: They’re less likely to overheat and catch on fire than lithium-ion cells, which has been a problem for both car- and truckmakers. Though it’s less energy-dense than lithium-ion and a bit heavier, LFP doesn’t use pricey nickel or cobalt and may prove to be more durable over time. Rumsey says that the venture’s decision to use LFP, rather than lithium-ion cells typically used in electric vehicles, was driven by its relatively lower cost.
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