Ford joins the EV rush; all-electric in Europe by 2030
Ford is the latest major car company to announce a significant electrified commitment, confirming it will sell only zero emission passenger vehicles in Europe by 2030.
The blue oval’s move comes just days after luxury brand Jaguar announced it would be all-electric starting in 2025 and weeks after General Motors revealed its intention to be zero emissions globally by 2035.
Small volume ultra-luxury brand Bentley has also committed to going all-EV by 2030. Volvo has forecast it will adopt the same timeline.
Along the way to 2030 Ford will ensures each of its European passenger vehicle line-up has plug-in hybrid or electric models by 2026.
Its entire commercial vehicle range will offer PHEV or EV options even sooner in 2024. Ford estimates two-thirds of its commercial sales in Europe will be PHEV or EV by 2030. In other words it will continue to sell combustion engine commercial vehicles (such as utes and vans) beyond 2030.
As part of its transition, Ford is investing US$1 billion ($1.3 billion) in its massive Cologne plant in Germany, which will roll-out the first European-built Ford “volume all-electric vehicles” in 2023.
As part of the joint venture with Volkswagen Group, it will be based on the MEB EV architecture that has already spawned a number of battery electric vehicles including the VW ID.3 and ID.4.
The new Ford Mustang Mach E, which is built in the USA, will go on-sale in Europe this year.
Ford intends to produce a second EV at Cologne and promises more details within months.
The move to electrification is Europe is being driven by ever-tougher emissions restrictions and the spreading ban on internal combustions engines in European countries and cities.
Ford had already announced earlier this month it was ramping up its investment in EVs to US$22 billion ($28.3 billion) globally through 2025, nearly double a commitment it made in 2018.
The European-built Ford passenger vehicle range includes the Fiesta and Focus small cars and Puma and Escape light-duty SUVs, all of which are currently sold in Australia.
Which of them will become EVs and which will be axed is yet to be clarified.
“We successfully restructured Ford of Europe and returned to profitability in the fourth quarter of 2020. Now we are charging into an all-electric future in Europe with expressive new vehicles and a world-class connected customer experience,” said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe, in a press statement.
“We will offer an exceptional range of electrified vehicles, supported by customer-centric digital services and experiences, allowing our customers to come with us on the journey to a fully electric future, starting right now with the launch of the all-electric Mustang Mach-E. In combination with our leading commercial vehicle business, this will form the basis of a sustainably profitable Ford business in Europe.”
