Ford showcases new, cheaper and safer battery tech

The Blue Oval has developed a lithium-ion traction battery with a groundbreaking manganese-rich cathode.

According to the researchers behind the project, the new cell type is similar in most respects to the lithium-manganese-cobalt cell (LMC), but costs much less to produce.

Furthermore, it’s been found highly fire-resistant. Ford says it’s about on par with lithium-iron-phosphate cells (LFP) in this respect.

The company believes that the new LMR battery type can phase out both LMC and LFP types by being cheaper to manufacture and taking only the best of the two worlds. However, due to unspecified production hurdles, it isn’t expected to find mass-market application until the next decade.