Hyperdrive

Ford Strikes Lithium Supply Deals With World’s Top Producers

  • Albemarle, SQM are among five companies in pacts with carmaker
  • CEO Farley says raw material processing limits battery output
Ford CEO Farley on Lithium Deals, Battery Production
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Ford Motor Co. peppered investors with new battery-material sourcing agreements in a show of how it’s solidifying the supply chain it will need for a massive expansion in electric-vehicle production.

The two biggest names among the various companies that announced deals with Ford on Monday — US-based Albemarle Corp. and Chile’s SQM — are the world’s largest producers of lithium. Those pacts are among five disclosed on Ford’s investor day that flesh out how the carmaker expects to make 2 million EVs a year by 2026, and keep expanding from there.