On Tuesday, Ford announced the development of Ford Ion Park, the company’s new collaborative learning laboratory, which will focus on the research and production of EV battery cells.

The automaker will establish Ion Park in Romulus, Michigan, realizing the 2010 commitment to make its home state Ford’s center of excellence for EVs.

“The new lab will help Ford speed up the battery development process to deliver even more capable, affordable batteries,” said Anand Sankaran, the Park’s director.

To accomplish this mission, Ion Park will focus on optimizing all aspects of the battery value chain, from mining to recycling.

The research areas will be the following:

New manufacturing techniques

Innovative battery cell designs, including the vertical integration of battery cells and vertical batteries

The development of both lithium-ion and solid-state batteries

As it happens, Ford has already invested together with BMW $130 million in solid-state battery tech . Given that solid-state technology has the potential of lower cost and  longer range, it seems that the automaker is determined to be among the first to make the breakthrough.

Ford will spend $100 million on Ion Park, as part of its $185 million overall investment in developing, testing, and building vehicle battery cells and cell arrays.

That’s also part of the company’s $30 billion expenditure to achieve electrification by 2025, a shorter deadline compared to other major brands, such as VW, which has targeted 2035, and GM, which has set 2040.

Ion Park will be held at a refurbished 270,000 square foot facility, and is expected to accommodate 200 engineers and offer thousands of direct jobs.

All in all, that’s a big move for Ford, and I think it clearly shows that the EV industry’s focus has shifted completely to battery development.

In other words, whichever automakers are the fastest to find the best battery tech that will reduce cost, extend range, and tackle mining issues, will be the ones that get the lead in the EV market.

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Rivian’s R1T Adventure Package sets the standard for electric off road luxury

The forecoming Rivian R1T is admittedly a beautiful beast, and now we can get a closer look at the interior of its Adventure Package, coming up in January 2022.

Yesterday, Rivian shared details on the electric truck‘s cabin, and boy, does it look  gorgeous. Taking into consideration how drivers use the space inside their vehicles, the company created a design that aims for practicality, comfort, and elegance.

The R1T features a n open 14×11-inch space under the center display, a 33-inch storage bin under the back seats, smaller storage pullouts under the driver and passenger seats, and four retractable cup holders among others.

When you opt for an off-road truck, you expect it to get dirty. For that reason, Rivian has equipped its vehicle with stain – and smudge-resistant surfaces, using natural-grained ash wood and a microfiber headliner. Similarly, the R1T has quick-drying and lightweight Chilewich floormats that can easily be removed, hosed off, and replaced within minutes.

The front seats can be heated or cooled and offer eight-way adjustability (fore-aft, lift, tilt, and recline) and a respective four-way power lumbar support. W hen the driver unlocks the R1T with the Rivian app, not only the seat, but the steering wheel and mirrors as well adjust to their preferred position.

What’s more, both drivers and passengers can choose their preferred temperature and fan speeds.

The center display is the main interface for viewing and controlling R1T functions, providing easy access to dedicated in-vehicle apps like Navigation, Media, Drive Mode, Vehicle Controls, Weather, and Camera.

Through the 16-inch screen you can also get info on the vehicle’s charge state, as well as Wi-Fi and cell phone signal strength. It’s also worth pointing out here that every Rivian has its own onboard 4G connection, and can thus create a Wi-Fi hotspot.

And if that’s not enough, there’s two extra perks.

Firstly, the truck’s Elevation by Meridian 1,100W audio system that, through the 18 speakers spread around the cabin, offers a three-dimensional audio experience.

Finally, the laminated glass roof top, which spans both rows and allows for a clear view of the surroundings.

Apart from its stunning interior, the R1T Adventure Package claims a 483km range, and its price will start at $73,000.

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Ford invests $1B to go all-electric by 2030 in Europe

It’s not just Jaguar Land Rover that is making waves by committing to an electrified future. American automaker Ford has also laid its cards down, and it’s going all-in on an all-electric future, for Europe at least.

The Blue Oval has said in a statement today that it will only sell EVs in Europe by 2030.

By 2026 the company is aiming for all of its passenger vehicles to be capable of zero emission in driving. They’ll be either all-electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles.

Ford is laying out similar plans for its commercial vehicles, with aspirations for its range to be fully capable of zero emission driving by 2024.

In an attempt to make its goals a reality, the company is putting $1 billion into a modernizing its electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Cologne, Germany. The first vehicles are expected to roll off its production line in 2023.

According to Automotive News Europe , Ford will take advantage of its strategic relationship with German automaker VW to utilize its MEB platform that underpins the likes of the ID.3 and ID.4. However, Ford has previously told Automotive News that its vehicles will be very different from VWs. But we’ll be the judge of that.

Earlier this week, British marque Jaguar Land Rover announced a completely new strategy in which it committed to making Jaguar an all-electric luxury brand. It also announced that Land Rover will get six new electric models to be sold alongside its current lineup.

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