US car giant Ford and South Korean battery maker SK On were in a dispute over the halting of the production F150 Lightning electric truck, TheElec has learned.
Ford is claiming SK On’s faulty batteries were the cause. The South Korean company had countered that it was a one-time issue and that there was no quality issue with its batteries, sources said.
Ford has sent its own battery research staff to South Korea this month over the issue.
The company will send more staff to South Korea next month to check the equipment and machine that will be used by BlueOval SK’s factories.
Ford is unhappy with the amount of information SK On is sharing over the issue, the sources said.
The batteries in question were made in SK On’s factory in Georgia state. The South Korean company has not opened the factory line to Ford as the US car maker doesn’t have a stake in it, unlike BlueOval SK.
Ford CEO Jim Farley, in his visit to South Korea last year, has also made a protest to SK On over the lower-than-expected yield rate of batteries.
Farley had asked SK On to be more collaborative at the time. Ford however believes SK On’s attitude has not changed.
Key executives of Ford didn’t take part in the groundbreaking ceremony in Kentucky in December for BlueOval SK’s factory over the issue.
C-level executives from Ford were noticeably absent from the ceremony, while SK ON CEO Ji Dong-seop participated.
