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Ford receives Federal backlash following Chinese battery agreement

WMrapids, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

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Update 11:53 am est: Paragraph 5 added with Sen. Rubio’s emailed statement.

Florida Senator Marco Rubio is calling for an investigation into Ford’s recent announcement of a new battery production facility built in conjunction with Chinese battery supplier CATL.

To achieve a production run rate of 600,000 electric vehicles annually by the end of this year and a run rate of 2 million EVs by the end of 2026, Ford has set its electrification targets high. As part of this $50 billion electrification plan, Ford is building ten new production facilities in the United States, one of them, a battery production facility in Western Michigan, was announced Monday. However, now the automaker is receiving backlash for partnering with Chinese battery maker CATL at the facility.

While Senator Marco Rubio of Florida has made the most comments on the upcoming Ford-CATL battery facility, going as far as demanding an investigation into the tech transfer within the deal, the controversy started at the announcement event earlier this week. According to Reuters, President Biden opted not to appear at the event, despite the audience of numerous other politicians and the fact that Ford’s $3.5 billion facility will be one of the largest battery production facilities in the country.

Rubio’s office said in an emailed statement to Teslarati:

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“I am alarmed at Ford’s plan to establish a large, Michigan-based factory, structured as a wholly owned subsidiary that licenses its technology from CATL. As such, I write to request a Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) review of the licensing agreement, as well as demand that no federal funds – especially monies or tax credits granted via the Inflation Reduction Act (P.L. 117-169) – go to enrich PRC national champion CATL, or any other Beijing-supported company, directly or indirectly.”

Perhaps in an attempt to distance itself from the deal, no CATL representatives appeared at the event. Despite Ford CEO Jim Farley briefly mentioning their engineering prowess, it was quickly passed over to focus on the technology Ford would be producing at the plant instead.

Ford was not immediately available to comment to Teslarati regarding the criticism.

As noted by Senator Rubio, the controversy stems from the fact that Ford will be receiving countless federal and state funds in the opening of this battery production facility. This could include anywhere from $20 to $50 per kWh of batteries produced thanks to the Inflation Reduction Act, on top of a $210 million grant from the State of Michigan.

Specifically, Sen. Rubio states that the Ford deal will result in higher dependence on the Chinese for battery production and battery technology, all while receiving American funds to do so.

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South Korea is the default secondary option for automakers looking for battery supplies outside China. General Motors has gone as far as creating a joint venture corporation, Ultium, with LG Chem. At the same time, even Ford partnered with SK On, another South Korean brand, to construct and produce batteries at a new facility in Kentucky.

It remains unclear if the Federal government will intervene in the Ford-CATL deal, but there is no doubt Ford chose the least opportune time to partner with a Chinese supplier. Following this attention, it is improbable that other automakers will look to partner with Chinese companies for their battery supply needs in the near future.

What do you think of the article? Do you have any comments, questions, or concerns? Shoot me an email at william@teslarati.com. You can also reach me on Twitter @WilliamWritin. If you have news tips, email us at tips@teslarati.com!

Will is an auto enthusiast, a gear head, and an EV enthusiast above all. From racing, to industry data, to the most advanced EV tech on earth, he now covers it at Teslarati.

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Elon Musk

Tesla’s Elon Musk considers insane Cybertruck mod: ‘Maybe we should make this’

The Cybertruck won’t do what the video shows (at least not in our lifetime), but a very entry-level version of it could be developed.

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Credit: Cybertruck | X

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has teased what could potentially be the company’s next big project, and while it is likely many, many years away, it shows the company truly has its sights set on the craziest things the world has seen.

Musk shared a video created by Grok Imagine, the AI tool that is able to take images and turn them into videos, showing a Cybertruck flying above the clouds and buildings of what appears to be a very futuristic city.

There are also massive robots roaming around in the video, so it is obviously an illustration of what life could look like in several generations.

However, Musk, who does not shy away from some really optimistic projects and goals, shared the video on X and said, “Maybe Tesla should make this.”

What is depicted in the video is not what we’d see Tesla create anytime soon. However, the company could potentially engineer something to make the Cybertruck hover, as it plans to do with the Roadster.

Of course, this is likely a huge “if” considering the current state of the car industry. Vehicles are becoming more advanced with every passing day as companies like Tesla, Waymo, and others are working to sort out things like autonomous and driverless travel.

Tesla has been working on somewhat of a similar idea with the Roadster, a vehicle that has been delayed on several occasions because of Musk’s spectacular imagination. Earlier this year, Tesla’s Chief Designer, Franz von Holzhausen, revealed Musk wanted to push the limits of that vehicle even more.

The new Tesla Roadster will be able to fly: Elon Musk

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It seems it could be on the way soon, considering Tesla has teased an “epic” demo for the car, which could come before the end of the year.

Tesla has been working to make the Roadster hover, using SpaceX cold gas thrusters. It will also utilize these for what could be an incredibly fast 1.1-second 0-60 MPH acceleration rate that has been teased countless times.

This project that Musk is teasing with the Cybertruck is likely one that we will not see in our lifetimes. However, this is just one example of the outlandish ideas Musk continues to tease for Tesla in the future.

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Tesla Model Y L addresses one huge complaint from many owners

If you have ever used a wireless charger inside a Tesla or almost any vehicle, for that matter, you will notice that your phone will charge slowly, and it will get extremely hot. This is mostly due to the inherent inefficiency of electromagnetic induction, which is the process that wireless chargers use to transfer energy to the phone.

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The new Tesla Model Y L is officially launching in China at a great price and with all of the awesome features of the original model, but with more space. The vehicle is also addressing one huge complaint that many owners have discussed.

The new Model Y L features a more spacious interior, new front seats with adjustable headrests, captains chairs, and mechanical armrests in the second row, and B Pillar air vents for improved circulation.

Tesla Model Y L officially launched: price, features, and more

However, there are some other features that are flying under the radar, including one that addresses a common complaint of many Tesla owners: wireless charging.

If you have ever used a wireless charger inside a Tesla or almost any vehicle, for that matter, you will notice that your phone will charge slowly, and it will get extremely hot. This is mostly due to the inherent inefficiency of electromagnetic induction, which is the process that wireless chargers use to transfer energy to the phone.

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The inefficiency is evident in the heat, as that is the lost energy that should be going to the phone, but does not.

To combat this problem, Tesla has rolled out a new feature with the wireless charging mat in the Model Y L.

Tesla has used small slit air vents in the center of the wireless charger, which separates the two pads, to blow cool air on the phones to prevent overheating:

This will keep the temperature of your phone down and could prevent the dreaded “iPhone too hot” message that deems your device unusable until it reaches a more stable temperature.

Additionally, Tesla has upgraded the driver’s side wireless charger to support 50W charging speeds. The passenger charger remains at 30W.

This is a small but valuable improvement to the wireless charging apparatus could be a game changer, as there have been so many complaints about this feature in other Tesla vehicles.

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Tesla Model Y Performance zips around Nurburgring with new features

With the performance, there are some improvements to interior aesthetics, but the goal with this particular trim of Tesla vehicles is to improve performance and aerodynamics, bringing a truly first-class experience to one of the best and fastest vehicles on the road.

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Credit: Wilco Blok on Instagram

The long-awaited Tesla Model Y Performance has been spotted zipping around the famed Nurburgring in Germany, a popular location for new vehicles to test their limits ahead of public release.

Earlier this year, Tesla executives Franz von Holzhausen and Lars Moravy both indicated that the updated and upgraded Model Y Performance would be on its way by the end of 2025, and it appears that time is coming close.

New images captured by Wilco Blok and Teslaplaidtokde on X show the Model Y Performance wrapped in camouflage, sporting a handful of new features as the lightning-fast version of the world’s best-selling vehicle prepares for a launch in various markets across the world:

New Features

According to Blok and Teslaplaidtokde, the new Model Y Performance will feature a variety of new improvements compared to the past version.

This is something that was expected, as the launch of the new Model Y over the past year has shown various changes that made a great vehicle even better.

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With the performance, there are some improvements to interior aesthetics, but the goal with this particular trim of Tesla vehicles is to improve performance and aerodynamics, bringing a truly first-class experience to one of the best and fastest vehicles on the road.

 

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A post shared by ᴡɪʟᴄᴏ ʙʟᴏᴋ (@wilcoblok)

Here’s what was mentioned as changes so far that have been seen on this test mule at Nurburgring:

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  • New 21″ wheels
  • All black headliner, a big change that was included in the Model Y L, the first time a Model Y has had that option
  • Updated brakes
  • Bucket seats that appear to be similar to the new Model Y L in China
  • New Carbon Fiber Spoiler
  • Performance Badging
  • Changes to both the front and rear bumper
  • Suspension with Adaptive Dampers

 

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A post shared by ᴡɪʟᴄᴏ ʙʟᴏᴋ (@wilcoblok)

Expected Performance Metrics

These are not official figures, but this is what is expected based on what has been seen at the Nurburgring:

  • 510 horsepower
  • 0-60 MPH in 3.2-3.4 seconds
  • 280-290 miles of range
  • Anticipating the release of a new Track Mode

The previous iteration of the Model Y Performance featured 503 horsepower and a 0-60 MPH of 3.5 seconds. It also had a top speed of 155, which we believe will be improved with the next version of the Y Performance.

Here is some footage of the Model Y Performance running around the Nurburgring ahead of its release:

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Tesla has not yet listed any date or timeframe for the Performance variant to be released. However, it is anticipated to be released by the end of 2025.

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