DETROIT – Ford Motor is rising its funding in EV battery start-up Strong Energy with hopes of beginning to combine the next-generation batteries into its electrical autos by the tip of this decade.

Ford, which initially invested within the firm in 2019, led a $130 million funding spherical in Strong Energy with BMW and Enterprise capital agency Volta Power Applied sciences, the businesses introduced Monday.

Strong Energy makes so-called solid-state batteries, which do not use the liquid electrolyte present in typical lithium-ion batteries at present used to energy most electrical autos. The batteries could be lighter, with higher vitality density that gives extra vary at a decrease price. However they’re at present extra expensive than lithium-ion batteries and early in growth.

Beneath the brand new settlement, Ford and BMW will obtain automotive-capable battery cells from Strong Energy for testing and integration into its future autos beginning subsequent 12 months. The Collection B funding spherical will permit the corporate to broaden in-house manufacturing capabilities and positions, Strong Energy CEO Dough Campbell stated in a launch.

Hau Thai-Tang, Ford’s chief product platform and operations officer, stated the automaker believes the business will begin transitioning from lithium-ion batteries to strong state over the following decade. He declined to reveal Ford’s whole funding in solid-state batteries however stated it is “considerably smaller” than lithium-ion right now.

“We predict it is reasonable that by the tip of this decade, there is a good likelihood that that is one thing we are able to go into manufacturing with,” he informed CNBC throughout an interview.

BMW stated it additionally expects to have solid-state batteries in manufacturing EVs by the tip of the last decade. A demonstrator car that includes the expertise is anticipated earlier than 2025, in accordance with an organization spokesman.

The funding announcement comes lower than every week after Ford stated it might make investments $185 million into a brand new battery lab as a step towards manufacturing its personal battery cells for electrical autos. That is along with plans to place $22 billion into vehicle electrification from 2016 by way of 2025.

Ford’s new facility won’t be a full battery cell manufacturing facility like Tesla has. General Motors lately introduced $4.6 billion in investments in two U.S. battery cell manufacturing crops with LG Power Resolution.