The electric Ford F-150 is still in the process of being launched in 2022, but it is unclear what Ford plans to do after SK Innovation’s import ban comes into force.
Ford
In May 2019, the United States International Trade Commission voted to open an investigation into SK Innovation, a Korean battery supplier, based on claims by competitor LG Chem that SK Innovation stole valuable trade secrets about vehicle batteries electrical. The USITC has now issued an official decision and is not looking ideal for SK Innovation or the automakers that will depend on its components.
The USITC has banned SK Innovation for 10 years from importing EV battery components into the US, reports Bloomberg, citing the USITC website. After further allegations that SK Innovation destroyed evidence that could help LG Chem prove its case, the USITC made its decision just this week, ending an investigation that began nearly two years ago.
SK Innovation is not being forced to stop working immediately. The company had four years to continue importing components for the next electric variant of the Ford F-150, and was granted a two-year stay to do the same for Volkswagen’s next EVs on the American market running on its MEB architecture scalable electric vehicle.
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“The ITC decision supports our plans to bring the all-electric Ford F-150 to the market in mid-2022,” said a Ford spokesman in a statement. In addition, in a Twitter post, Ford CEO Jim Farley hoped that the two companies could reach a voluntary agreement, which would be “in the best interest of US manufacturers and workers.”
“We continue to analyze the decision of the United States International Trade Commission and its impact on Volkswagen,” said a spokesman for the automaker.
Representatives from LG Chem and SK Innovation did not immediately return requests for comment. SK Innovation told Reuters it “regrets” the USITC decision, however, while LG Chem praises it.
The vehicles in question are likely to require some adjustments to accommodate batteries and components from different suppliers, but the question of exactly how much work is needed has not yet been seen. According to Bloomberg, Ford told the USITC in May that “EV batteries cannot simply be replaced like batteries in a flashlight.”