GOP reps want feds to investigate Ford’s deal with Chinese companies
Ford has been looking to build the first LFP battery facility in the US, boosting domestic production. But it has been leaning on Chinese tech from CATL to make that happen, and Republican lawmakers have criticized the project. Now they’ve asked the Biden administration to investigate four Chinese companies involved in the plant.
The chairs of two US House committees are asking the US government to investigate four Chinese companies in connection with Ford’s new Michigan battery plant, according to a report in Reuters.
The four Chinese companies are thought to have direct ties to the Chinese military, the Chinese Communist Party, the North Korean government, and alleged human rights abuses in China’s Xinjiang region, the report said.
Last year, the US automaker announced a licensing agreement with China-based Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) to use its tech for lithium-iron-phosphate batteries for EVs. Ford plans to build the batteries and operate its plant independently, but US Republican lawmakers have said that US tax subsidies could be used to fund Chinese interests.
Now, two GOP lawmakers are asking the US Commerce and Treasury departments to investigate the four companies involved in the Ford project – the company names have been redacted in letters provided to media, but the companies are involved in concept design of the plant and IT services, according to Reuters.
The committee chair alleges connections with a number of Chinese government and military operations, and human right abuses of Uyghur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang region, which China outright denies.
The representatives involved are Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin with the CCP committee and Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington with Energy and Commerce. Both are calling for a review of whether or not to impose export restrictions.
“It is unconscionable for Ford to purchase critical IT infrastructure from a Chinese company that facilitates sanctions evasion activity on behalf of the North Korean government,” the two Republicans wrote. “Indeed, this poses significant cybersecurity risks.”
Ford CEO Jim Farley requests that a Ford rep get a chance to present its due diligence around its partnership with CATL. “We’ve been helping the committees understand this Ford wholly owned and operated project,” a Ford spokesperson told The Detroit News.
“We follow all government regulations across our business. Beyond legal requirements, Ford suppliers also must meet our higher standards for conduct, including to protect human rights, and are obligated to extend them to the vendors they might work with, too.”
Electrek’s Take
All this lands as Ford is already scaling back on its investment in the plant, due to what it says it slowing EV demand. The original plan was a $3.5 billion plant that could produce around 35 GWh of new battery capacity a year, but now Ford has slashed that investment by almost half.
It’s, no doubt, a political game too, and this is likely only the beginning of what will be a complex year in that regard. President Biden has made the focus on transitioning American drivers to EVs a central part of his policy – while Republicans have been working hard to dismantle those efforts, and we’re sure to see more of this happening this year. Republicans, and a couple of Democrats, have been pushing back on Biden’s $7.5 billion plan to build out EV infrastructure in the US by focusing on a short-term waiver that allows federally subsidized EV chargers to include materials from China. Republicans aiming to block the waiver don’t like this – but Biden exercised his veto power, for now at least.
We’ll stayed tuned to see how this latest chapter unfolds.
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The US Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $1.2 billion in financing to replace Puerto Rico’s fossil fuel plants with solar and battery storage through 2032.
The DOE’s Loan Programs Office announced two conditional commitments and one loan closing to power producers in Puerto Rico. Each supports a project contracted with the Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority. The announcements include:
- The closing of a $584.5 million loan guarantee to subsidiaries of Convergent Energy to finance a 100 MW solar farm with a 55 MW (55 MWh) battery energy storage system (BESS) in the municipality of Coamo and BESS installations in the municipalities of Caguas (25MW/100MWh), Peñuelas (100MW/400MWh), and Ponce (up to 100MW/400MWh)
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $133.6 million to a subsidiary of Infinigen for a 32.1 MW solar farm with an integrated 14.45 MW (4.76 MWh) BESS, and a co-located standalone 50 MW (200 MWh) BESS expansion in the municipality of Yabucoa
- A conditional commitment for a loan guarantee of up to $489.4 million to a subsidiary of Pattern Energy for three stand-alone BESS in the municipalities of Arecibo (50 MW/200 MWh), and Santa Isabel (50 MW /200 MWh and 80 MW/320 MW), and a 70 MW solar farm with an integrated BESS in the municipality of Arecibo.
If all are finalized, these projects would more than double LPO’s support for utility-scale solar generation and battery energy storage in Puerto Rico.
LPO provides low-cost financing and a rigorous due diligence process, making it a valuable resource for Puerto Rico as it works to rebuild an affordable, reliable, and clean energy system. As a result of reliance on imported fuel, the persistent threat of tropical storms, and underinvested infrastructure, Puerto Ricans today face average energy costs that are twice the US average – all while consuming only one-quarter of the energy of the US per capita.
LPO’s initial loan to a power producer in Puerto Rico, Project Marahu, closed in October 2024, and when complete will add more than 200 MW of solar and up to 285 MW of stand-alone energy storage to Puerto Rico’s grid.
Through its September 2023 partial loan guarantee to Project Hestia, LPO also supports virtual power plant (VPP)-ready rooftop solar and battery storage installations in Puerto Rico. As a nationwide project, Hestia’s sponsor is committed to at least 20% of installations under Project Hestia going to homeowners in Puerto Rico.
As part of its procurement plan, Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority seeks to install 1,500 MW of battery storage and requires a minimum capacity of storage to be co-located with each utility-scale solar project. Energy storage systems currently online in Puerto Rico are being dispatched every day.
When including Marahu, LPO’s closed and conditionally committed financing supports over 100% of the capacity Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority aimed to procure under its initial request for energy storage project proposals, the first of six.
Read more: Cleantech investments to top fossil fuels for the first time in 2025
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Chevy just introduced new deals on the Equinox and Blazer EV models to make them even more affordable. With 0% interest and a new trade-in bonus, Chevy is offering over $5,000 in savings.
Chevy adds new Equinox and Blazer EV deals in January
Although the Chevy Equinox EV is already “the most affordable” EV in its class with over 315 miles range, it’s getting even cheaper.
Earlier this week, Chevy launched new deals on the 2024 Equinox and Blazer EV models. According to a note sent to dealers, viewed by CarsDirect, the electric SUVs are now available with 0% APR financing for 60 months. You can also choose from 0.9% AP for 72 months and 2.9% APR for 84 months.
This marks the best financing offer on Chevy’s newest EVs to date. The previous best rates were 0.9% APR for 60 months, 3.9% for 72 months, and 5.9% for the longer 84-month option.
On a 7-year $45,000 loan, online auto research firm CarsDirect estimates the new deals amount to around a $5,200 price cut. The lower APR rates are already offered on the Chevrolet Silverado EV pickup.
In addition, Chevy is offering a trade-in bonus of up to $3,000 on the Silverado EV and $1,000 on the electric Equinox and Blazer models. If you choose to lease, the bonus is cut in half: $1,500 for the Silverado and $500 for the electric SUVs.
Chevy’s new EV deals started on January 14 and run through March 3, 2025. The deals come as rivals like Hyundai and Ford recently launched new EV promotions.
On Thursday, Hyundai launched a new promo on the upgraded 2025 IONIQ 5, which includes monthly leases as low as $199 and a free ChargePoint home EV charger (or $400 charging credit). Meanwhile, Ford extended its “Power Promise” program earlier this month, which also includes a free home charger, among several other benefits.
The 2024 Chevy Equinox EV started at $41,900 with up to 315 miles range. Prices for the electric Chevy Blazer start at $43,690 with up to 279 miles range.
If you are ready to try out Chevy’s new electric SUVs for yourself, we’ve got you covered. You can use our links below to view offers on the Chevy Equinox, Silverado, and Blazer EV models near you.
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In the Electrek Podcast, we discuss the most popular news in the world of sustainable transport and energy. In this week’s episode, we discuss non-Tesla EVs getting Supercharger access, Cybertruck sales in the spotlight, Rivian getting some money from Biden, and more.
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