The European joint venture between power battery manufacturer SK On and Ford Motor will build a new battery factory in Turkey. It is expected that the new plant will be modeled on the design of the Hungarian plant and will be completed in 2025. The initial annual production capacity is 30GW, and it is expected to reach a maximum of 45GW in the future. A total of 18 production lines are expected to be built.
According to South Korean media reports, the new battery plant of SK On, Ford and the Turkish giant Goetz Holdings will be located in Ankara, Turkey, and will adopt the design of the Ivancho plant in Hungary to speed up the construction of the new plant.
According to reports, it is expected that it will take one and a half years for the new plant in Turkey to go from ordering equipment to production, while SK On will start purchasing equipment in the second half of next year and is expected to start production in 2025.
If the new Turkish plant adopts the same design as the Hungarian plant, it is expected that the plant may also produce 3060 batteries, which can be applied to commercial vehicles such as Ford pickups, passenger cars, and vans.
In addition to local government subsidies, the investment of SK On and Ford may also include industrial considerations. Turkey is home to the Ford OEM, and the local Tier-1 ecosystem has been perfected. Considering that Hyundai and Kia are also entering the market, it will be beneficial for SK On to expand more partners in the future.
