A view of CATL headquarters in Ningde, East China's Fujian Province Photo: VCG

Chinese electric vehicle (EV) battery giant Contemporary Amperex Technology Co (CATL) is considering investment in the US, with several cooperation options under discussion but no final decision has been made yet, the company confirmed to the Global Times on Thursday.

"All options are out of pure commercial consideration," the company stressed, in response to media reports that the company is considering building a battery plant in the US states of Michigan or Virginia in cooperation with US carmaker Ford Motor Co.

The multibillion-dollar factory will make lithium iron phosphate batteries for Ford's electric vehicles, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.

The two companies are contemplating an ownership structure in which Ford would own 100 percent of the plant, including the infrastructure, while the Chinese battery giant would operate the factory and own the technology to build the cells, the report said.

The potential partnership is making headlines amid fractured China-US ties. As the Biden administration continues to push for an "economic decoupling," China has repeatedly urged the US side to build a non-discriminatory, free, fair, and transparent business environment for Chinese companies.

CATL has been expanding rapidly overseas thanks to the fast adoption of new-energy vehicles globally. The firm is also a supplier to US electric giant Tesla, and media reports said in March that CATL was considering building a battery plant in Mexico, US or Canada.

In September, the company signed a real estate deal with the city of Debrecen in Hungary, marking the official launch of its second European plant, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

CATL's investment is among the five largest greenfield foreign investments made in Europe in the last ten years.

Global Times