Ford to sell only all-electric cars in Europe by 2030
What's the story
In an attempt to beat CO2 emissions targets and circumvent imminent bans on fuel-guzzling vehicles in certain countries, Ford has announced that it will sell only electric cars in Europe by 2030. The automaker will spend $1 billion over the next 30 months to overhaul its assembly plant in Cologne, Germany, into its first electric vehicle factory in Europe. Here are more details.
Strategic alliance
Model built at Cologne will be based on MEB platform
Ford has signed a deal with Volkswagen, under which the former will build some models using its German partner's MEB electric vehicle platform. Head of Ford's European operations, Stuart Rowley, said that the model produced at Cologne will be the first to be built on Volkswagen's MEB platform, and will reinforce the company's commitment to the European region.
Information
By 2024, entire range will include all-electric or hybrid variants
Ford's petrol-guzzling commercial vehicles currently dominate the European and US markets, with shares of almost 15% and 40%, respectively. The automaker has said that it will introduce fully-electric iterations and plug-in hybrid variants of its entire commercial vehicle range by 2024.
Timeline
Ford's first European-built electric car will be manufactured in 2023
Ford's first electric passenger vehicle built in Europe will be manufactured at the Cologne factory from 2023. The company is also considering building a second model there. By 2026, Ford aims to introduce electric iterations of all its passenger cars being sold in Europe. By 2030, two-thirds of its commercial vehicle sales in the continent will be plug-in hybrids or fully-electric.
Information
These European countries will ban internal combustion engines soon
The following nations in the European continent have announced a ban on new or existing cars with internal combustion engines in parts of the country or full: Italy (2024), Norway (2025), France (2030), Ireland (2030), Belgium (2030), Netherlands (2030), UK (2040), and Germany (2040).