Ford Makes Breakthrough with LMR Battery Chemistry

[TaxmanHog]

Charles Poon
Director, Electrified Propulsion Engineering


April 23, 2025
Today marks a pivotal moment in Ford's electrification journey and for the future of electric vehicles. After intense research and development at our state-of-the-art Battery Center of Excellence, Ion Park, I'm thrilled to share that the Ford team is delivering a game-changing battery chemistry: Lithium Manganese Rich (LMR).
This isn't just a lab experiment. We're actively working to scale LMR cell chemistry and integrate them into our future vehicle lineup within this decade. The team is already producing our second-gen LMR cells at our pilot line.

The LMR Advantage:
Our LMR battery technology has the potential to make a step change:

• Enhanced Safety and Stability: Safety is paramount. We've engineered LMR to achieve a safety profile comparable to Lithium Iron Phosphate (LFP) batteries, providing our customers with peace of mind.
• Industry-Leading Energy Density: Our LMR boasts a higher energy density than even high-nickel batteries. This translates to greater range, allowing our customers to go further on a single charge and reducing range anxiety.
• Unprecedented Cost Reduction: We're targeting a cost significantly lower than current mid-nickel batteries. This breakthrough is critical to achieving true cost parity with gasoline vehicles and making electric vehicles accessible to more people

Ford Ion Park: The Epicenter of Battery Innovation
The LMR work is testament to the incredible talent and dedication of our team at Ion Park. Our Battery Center of Excellence is home to more than 135 world-class chemists, manufacturing engineers and scientists, hailing from the top battery companies and research institutions around the globe. We have gathered them together equipping them with the most advanced equipment in the world in an environment with no boundaries.
We've fostered a culture of relentless innovation, where challenging convention and pushing the boundaries of what's possible is part of our every day. From materials science to cell design to manufacturing processes, we're tackling every aspect of battery technology with unwavering focus to reduce cost. Ford started by offering nickel cobalt manganese (NCM) batteries and later added lithium iron phosphate (LFP) batteries in 2023. LMR is the answer to “what next?”

Our Ambition: Affordable Electric Vehicles for Everyone
Our goal is clear: to achieve cost parity with gasoline vehicles and deliver affordable customer solutions tailored to their needs. The introduction of LMR is a key enabler in offering electric vehicles that are both accessible and desirable.
It’s an honor to be part of the Ford team as we achieve this significant milestone.

Ford Makes Breakthrough with LMR Battery Chemistry: Targeting More Affordable, Long-Range Electric Vehicles by End of Decade

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[Timeless Epoch]

If my YouTube feed is any indication, we’ve been on the brink of a major battery breakthrough for at least 15 years.

Here is hoping Ford isn’t hyping the situation.

 

[luebri]

If my YouTube feed is any indication, we’ve been on the brink of a major battery breakthrough for at least 15 years.

Here is hoping Ford isn’t hyping the situation.

agree. I hope, but do have a good deal of skepticism based on seemingly every few months for as long as I can remember there is some hype in the Tech space about break through Battery development, but it never feels like it gets to market.

 

[Randall Stephens]

All these new battery techs remind me of graphene, which can do just about anything but leave the laboratory.

 

[Grumpy2]

at our state-of-the-art Battery Center of Excellence, Ion Park,

I am happy to see Ford has this research center. Ford is actively working to survive the coming world wide tsunami from China. I would like to think owners of Lightnings are helping this along.

 

[B177y]

If my YouTube feed is any indication, we’ve been on the brink of a major battery breakthrough for at least 15 years.

Here is hoping Ford isn’t hyping the situation.

All these new battery techs remind me of graphene, which can do just about anything but leave the laboratory.

Fusion power and fuel cells have been 10 years away for about 50 years now...

 

[Al_V]

Fusion power and fuel cells have been 10 years away for about 50 years now...

Well, there was a fusion breakthrough a couple years ago, so maybe 10 years is closer to reality, but still probably closer to 50...

 

[Jim Lewis]

Now, if they can just retrofit our trucks with LMR batteries... The PR, though, is like one of those graphs with no numbers on any of the axes. No numbers for energy density, lower cost, or example driving range...

 

[Al_V]

Now, if they can just retrofit our trucks with LMR batteries... The PR, though, is like one of those graphs with no numbers on any of the axes. No numbers for energy density, lower cost, or example driving range...

Unfortunately, I doubt Ford will give us a chance to upgrade our batteries.
Aftermarket; possibly, but doubtful...

 

[Adventureboy]

I must say, I'm a bit skeptical on this. Great if it comes through but the largest battery manufactures (CATL, BYD and LG) have been working this space for decades. I believe Ford currently uses licensed CATL technology for its LFP plants in the USA. Lightning batteries are made in USA using SK On technology, a Korea-based manufacturer.
Interesting times.....

 

[srspring551]

I'm betting on Sodium batteries: https://interestingengineering.com/energy/catl-sodium-ev-battery-unveiled

 

[SpaceEVDriver]

LMR has a major issue of voltage fade which limits its usable lifetime. Nothing I’ve seen has realistically solved this other than very, very high quality coatings and that’s only good for so long before the coatings begin to fail, at which time the voltage fade will accelerate and the usable capacity will drop very quickly. There are some avenues to mitigate this being pursued, but they’re in research today, not 5-10 years ago.

If solved, the specific energy (Wh/kg) of LMR is much better than existing batteries, but so are several other battery chemistries that are seeing faster development and implementation.

I hope Ford isn’t just blowing smoke, but I’m not especially excited by their announcement.

 

[B177y]

LMR has a major issue of voltage fade which limits its usable lifetime. Nothing I’ve seen has realistically solved this other than very, very high quality coatings and that’s only good for so long before the coatings begin to fail, at which time the voltage fade will accelerate and the usable capacity will drop very quickly. There are some avenues to mitigate this being pursued, but they’re in research today, not 5-10 years ago.

If solved, the specific energy (Wh/kg) of LMR is much better than existing batteries, but so are several other battery chemistries that are seeing faster development and implementation.

I hope Ford isn’t just blowing smoke, but I’m not especially excited by their announcement.

I love that this forum has so many scientists and engineers on it to keep the public relations people honest.

 

[Henry Ford]

Wow, is Ford incompetent. Nobody cares about a marginal improvement in battery technology in five years. Just announce a fleet of self driving taxis "next year." And robots! Definitely robots.

 

[MountainAlive]

Unfortunately, I doubt Ford will give us a chance to upgrade our batteries.
Aftermarket; possibly, but doubtful...

If we still have our trucks in 10 years I’m willing to bet there will be after market and/or refurb options to swap out our battery for something else by then. Probably lighter and more range.

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