Ford and a Chinese firm plan a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Michigan
Ford Motor Company and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. (CATL) are planning a $3.5 billion electric vehicle battery plant in Marshall, Michigan.
The plant, celebrated by Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D), will be owned by Ford through a subsidiary while working with CATL, China’s top supplier of electric vehicle batteries. Ford hopes to open the plant in 2026 and employ some 2,500 workers who will produce cheaper lithium iron phosphate batteries.
In addition to licensed technology from CATL, the Chinese company will also provide a number of workers to the plant.
As noted by Frances Martel, editor of Breitbart News, CATL has benefited from contracts with automakers like Tesla, BMW and Honda thanks to the immense support of the Chinese Communist Party. The company has also been accused of using slave labour:
CATL is the world’s largest supplier of batteries for electric vehicles and a leading supplier to manufacturers such as Tesla, BMW and Honda. It is not officially a public company but, under communism, private ownership does not exist in practice, and CATL has achieved dominance in the electric vehicle battery industry with the tremendous support and involvement of the Communist Party of China. [Emphasis added]
In addition to heavy subsidies from Beijing, CATL has also faced accusations of human rights abuses common among companies linked to the Chinese regime, such as the potential use of Uighur slaves in its supply chain. and potentially buying cobalt and other key metals mined by child slaves in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). [Emphasis added]
More importantly, Ford hopes to secure federal subsidies for electric vehicle batteries produced at the Marshall plant despite CATL’s involvement in the company.
Ford executives said they believe their factory-produced electric vehicle batteries would qualify for half of the $7,500 federal tax credits allowed under the Inflation Reduction Act. Biden administration. In order for automakers to qualify for the full tax credit, no parts or materials may be produced in China.
Ford’s announcement comes as Virginia Governor Glenn Youngkin (right) lambasted the company and ultimately removed the state from consideration for the electric vehicle battery plant.
“Although Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Communist Party of China, which could compromise our economic security and the privacy of Virginians,” Youngkin said.
John Binder is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jbinder@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter here.
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