Ford will have nothing but battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) for sale in Europe in just 2 years.
The Ford Motor Company has just confirmed a bunch of very big business decisions surrounding its European operations. The first big thing to note is that they’ll only be selling electric vehicles in Europe starting 2024. This will mean 7 new generation vehicles that are not only all-electric, but also fully-connected. Ford expects their annual sales of electric vehicles in 2026 to reach 600,000 units with 2,000,000 electric vehicles expected to be sold by Ford worldwide.
This future line-up will be built by the new Ford Model e and Ford Pro (commercial) business units. Besides the emissions-free product portfolio announcement, the company also wants to be carbon neutral throughout its supply chain by 2035 in Europe.
The seven electric vehicles that Ford have planned include 3 passenger vehicles and 4 commercial vehicles. We know from other reports that Ford will be using Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Drive Matrix (MEB) to build at least 2 of these electric cars. The first will be a crossover with an estimated production volume of 600,000 units. The second model will be a sports crossover, which will also be made in Cologne. Both should be able to hit over 500km of electric range on a full charge. The factory will be expanded with a US$2 billion investment which includes a new battery assembly plant.
The third electric passenger car will be an electrified version of the Ford Puma, which will be made in Romania in 2024.
In terms of electric commercial vans, there will be the Transit Custom one-tonne van, the Touneo Custom multi-purpose vehicle (2023), the next gen Transit Courier van and the next gen Tourneo Courier multi-purpose vehicle (2024).
For more on Ford’s European investment plans, check out the press release excerpts below.
PRESS RELEASE
New joint venture aims to increase battery production in Europe
To support Ford’s ambitious vehicle electrification plans, Ford, SK On Co., Ltd. and Koç Holding have signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding for a new, industry-leading joint venture business in Turkey. Subject to execution of a final agreement, the three partners plan to create one of the largest EV battery facilities in the European wider region.
The joint venture would be located near Ankara and will manufacture high Nickel NMC cells for assembly into battery array modules. Production is intended to start as early as mid-decade with an annual capacity likely to be in the range of 30 to 45 Gigawatt hours.
The investment the three partners are planning in the battery joint venture – including support from the Turkish Government – will directly benefit large and small commercial vehicle operators across Europe, reducing energy and running costs and providing a significant contribution to CO2 reduction.
Boosting EV manufacturing capacity in Craiova
Ford’s manufacturing plant in Craiova, Romania, will play a significant role in the company’s electric and commercial vehicle growth plans in Europe.
From 2024, European customers will be able to purchase an all-electric version of the Ford Puma, Ford’s popular compact crossover. The Puma was Ford’s best-selling passenger vehicle in Europe in 2021, and the all-electric Puma will bring this successful new nameplate to an even wider group of European customers when it goes into production in Craiova in 2024.
Additionally, the all-new Transit Courier, the popular light commercial vehicle, and Tourneo Courier, a compact multi-purpose vehicle, will also be produced in Craiova from 2023, with all-electric versions coming in 2024.
To further boost electric and commercial vehicle capacity, Ford announced this morning that Ford Otosan will assume ownership of the Craiova plant and manufacturing business, subject to regulatory approval and consultation. Ford Otosan, a joint venture between Ford Motor Company and Koç Holding, is one of the longest running and most successful joint ventures in the global auto industry.
“We welcome this opportunity to grow our joint venture with Koc Holding and leverage this strategic partnership to better utilize our resources and know-how in Romania,” Rowley said. “Ford Craiova is today a strong success story, and we believe that through Ford Otosan’s experience and expertise in electrification and commercial vehicles it can reach even higher levels of achievement.”
