The North American manufacturer Ford has presented its ambitious transformation project in Europe. This means that by mid-2026, 100% of its passenger cars range will have a fully electric or plug-in hybrid version. At the same time, four years later, in 2030, this will be electric.
To do this, it will allocate 1 billion euros to its factory in Cologne, Germany, where Ford’s electric cars will be manufactured for all of Europe. An installation that will become the Americans’ emblem in the old continent will begin to produce its first electric model in 2023. It is indicated that the possibility of building a second model in this installation is on the table.
According to Stuart Rowley, President of Ford of Europe: “We have successfully restructured Ford of Europe and returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2020. We are now accelerating towards an all-electric future with new vehicles and a first-class connectivity experience. We expect to continue the excellent trend achieved in Europe this year, and we remain on track to meet our target of a 6% EBIT margin as part of Ford’s project to boost our global automotive operations.
For their part, the representatives of the workers of the German factory have welcomed this decision. According to Martin Hennig, Chairman of the General Works Council of Ford-Werke GmbH: “The decision to convert the Cologne production and development plant into the Ford Europe center for electric mobility is an essential signal the entire workforce. It is an excellent long-term prospect for our employees, and at the same time encourages them to help shape this electrical future.”
One of the keys to this decision has been the agreement signed at the time by Ford with Volkswagen to share electrical and digitization technology. Both automotive groups reached a collaboration agreement in commercial vehicles, autonomous driving, and electric cars. As a result, Ford will use the Volkswagen Group’s MEB electric modular platform to develop different electric vehicles specifically designed for our market.