Is U.S. Falling Behind On Battery Technologies?
Ford CEO Alan Mulally opened the NY Auto Show this morning with a warning that the US is falling behind in the race to develop new battery and powertrain solutions, and only policymakers can change course.
“Governments around the world are going to have a tremendous role to play,” Mulally said.
And with Japan considering a move to be 50 percent hybrid and electric by 2020, for instance, it’s not hard to understand Mulally’s point. Likewise, lithium-ion cell manufacturing is almost non-existent in the US, as is rare earth metal production, and US automakers produce far fewer battery-powered powertrains than the Big 3 of Japan.
Fortunately, despite the warning, Mulally did acknowledge that Ford is “probably better positioned than ever before”.
Category: Battery News
