Michigan Locals Say ‘No’ to Ford’s EV Battery Plant With Chinese Partner

Megasite Ford-CATL deal raises questions about national security, loss of prime farmland

A sign calling for a halt to the new Ford EV battery plant on property in Marshall, Mich., on Mar. 7, 2023. Locals refer to the plant site as "megasite." Courtesy of Fred Chapman

Michigan locals are mounting resistance against Ford’s new battery plant partnered with a Chinese company.

The factory will be owned by Ford through a wholly-owned subsidiary without foreign investment; Chinese EV battery maker Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) will provide the battery technology, some equipment, and Chinese workers. The plant is expected to start operating in Marshall, a small township 100 miles west of Detroit, in 2026.