CATL – one of the largest producers of batteries on earth – supplies a variety of automakers with those types of units, including Ford, but the fact that it’s based out of China has also raised a few eyebrows among U.S. lawmakers. In fact, certain lawmakers have called for CATL to be placed on the restricted list amid allegations that it uses forced labor and has deep ties to the Chinese military and government, though the battery maker has long denied those claims. Regardless, aside from these concerns and increased tariffs, CATL is now looking at big changes that could take place under newly-elected U.S. President Donald Trump, which could also alter its strategy.
According to Reuters, CATL is now considering building a battery plant in the U.S. if Trump remains open to allowing Chinese companies to do so, based on comments he made in a recent interview. “We’re going to give incentives, and if China and other countries want to come here and sell the cars, they’re going to build plants here, and they’re going to hire our workers,” Trump said this past August. “I do hope that in the future they are open to investments,” said CATL founder and chairman, Robin Zeng. “Originally, when we wanted to invest in the U.S., the U.S. government said no. For me, I’m really open-minded.”
China-based companies have been shut out of the U.S. via a variety of trade measures for some time now, and vehicles that use batteries produced in China don’t qualify for the current U.S. clean energy tax credits. Additionally, proposed legislation currently under review is aiming to ban any vehicle with Chinese connected vehicle technology from being sold in the U.S., on top of the 100 percent tariff imposed on imported Chinese EVs enacted by current President Joe Biden this past September.
At the moment, it’s unclear what direction Trump will go, but he previously stated that EVs would “kill” the U.S. auto industry, and has also proposed higher tariffs not only on Chinese imports, but also, those coming from Mexico. Regardless, the aforementioned tariffs haven’t had much of an impact on CATL thus far, and the company plans to license its LFP technology to companies other than Ford in the future, too.
Comments
Are they afraid Yellow Peril batteries are going to phone home and relay state secrets? Good grief. It’s time some technology came back here to benefit us.
just reciprocating a favor: China banned all foreign battery makers and forced all EV OEMs to switch to local Chinese suppliers since 2015 to protect local industry and corner the global battery supply-chain.