Ford is taking a significant step forward in our European transformation with a commitment to go all-in on electric passenger vehicles and to substantially grow and electrify our leading commercial vehicle business.
Spearheading the advance into an all-electric future is a new $1 billion investment to modernise our vehicle assembly facility in Cologne, Germany, one of Ford’s largest manufacturing centres in Europe and the home of its Europe operations. The investment will transform the existing vehicle assembly operations into the Ford Cologne Electrification Center for the manufacture of electric vehicles, Ford’s first such facility in Europe.
Ford confirmed that their first European-built, volume all-electric passenger vehicle for European customers will be produced at the facility from 2023, with the potential for a second all-electric vehicle built there under consideration.
Ford has committed that by mid-2026, 100 per cent of our passenger vehicle range in Europe will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, and will be completely all-electric by 2030. Similarly, our entire commercial vehicle range will be zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid, by 2024, with two-thirds of our commercial vehicle sales expected to be all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030.
‘Our announcement today to transform our Cologne facility, the home of our operations in Germany for 90 years, is one of the most significant Ford has made in over a generation. It underlines our commitment to Europe and a modern future with electric vehicles at the heart of our strategy for growth,’ says Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe.
Central to the transformation of their operations in Europe over the past two years were a $1 billion improvement in structural costs, addressing underperforming markets, the creation of a more targeted vehicle line-up within three customer-focused business groups, and partnerships to drive growth and improved levels of profitability across the business.
