Ford dust off chequebook to boost battery technology offering

US legacy manufacturer Ford has acquired Auto Motive Powers (AMP), a Los Angeles-based maker of energy management systems for EVs. With the move, Ford subsumes AMP into its EV and software business, Model E.

And it will aim to leverage AMP’s IP towards improved battery and charging experience for Ford customers, including delivering more affordable charging, the company says. Neither company has disclosed the value of the transaction.

“We are focused on accelerating EV adoption, bringing critical technology in-house, and improving charging experiences for our customers. This will fast-track that effort,” says Alan Clarke, executive director of Ford’s advanced EV development.

“Deep vertical integration of AMP’s technology into Ford’s EV products will allow for optimising both cost and performance while improving experiences for our customers – and that’s a win for the shift to EVs.”

Clarke also confirms that many of AMP’s engineers will be taken on board at Ford Model E as AMP is fully integrated into the OEM and ceases to exist independently.

“AMP is an energy management company that has earned a top reputation in leading battery management and power conversion systems and has a pool of talented engineers and technology that Ford is incorporating and vertically integrating into our EV plans,” the firm tells EV inFocus.

“Ford is focused on accelerating EV adoption and improving charging experiences for as many customers as we can. This move is about accelerating that effort — with excellence.”

“Our talented team will start a new journey and integrate our energy management technologies into Ford’s winning EV portfolio. Lowering the cost of EV electronics and improving battery utilisation has always been both of our companys' mission,” says AMP CEO Anil Paryani.

“We look forward to helping accelerate EV adoption with Ford’s manufacturing muscle and knowhow behind us.”

AMP says that its services, which range from “intelligent battery management platforms to robust fast-charging systems and complete cloud solutions” are currently used by over 700,000 EVs on the road.

The news comes only days after Ford bolstered its charging offering with the announcement that it plans to add 3,000 extra Tesla superchargers than previously stated, meaning Ford drivers will have access to 15,000 chargers in North America. Ford was earlier this year the first OEM to agree a deal for access to the Tesla network.