Politicians and local residents have voiced opposition to Ford’s new electric vehicle (EV) battery plant in Michigan over its links to China.
Last month, Ford announced it was building a battery park in Marshall, a small township 100 miles west of Detroit, under a licensing agreement with Chinese firm Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL), the world’s biggest producer of EV batteries.
The Michigan plant will start operating in 2026 and will be a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American company. CATL will provide the battery technology, some equipment, and workers, Ford said.
The deal, which gives the plant access to tax credits under the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), has drawn criticism from federal lawmakers who say American taxpayers shouldn’t fund a China-linked project….