While in the US Ford, coming off a $19.5 billion write-down due to the decision to reverse course on electrifying its lineup (which also led to the cancellation of several plug-in vehicles) signs with EDF its first major energy storage deal on the electric grid through its subsidiary Ford Energy (created to redirect battery production infrastructure towards the energy storage market for the electric grid), in Europe, amid rumors of relaunches of successful models like Fiesta and Focus (“we can’t let them die,” said the president of the European division, Jim Baumbick), there is one certainty, well captured by a headline from the specialized magazine Quattroruote: the Blue Oval has said goodbye to “electric only.”
RESTARTING FROM SPAIN
After the electric car binge and the subsequent reality check, the American company intends to restart by focusing this time on a pragmatic multi-energy strategy. In particular, it is restarting from Almussafes, a Spanish plant that recently made news because, clearly underutilized for some time by the Western manufacturer, it could soon be at least partly acquired by the Chinese Geely, eager to break through the European tariff barrier by establishing its production locally.
It is a recently modernized plant but now limited to producing the Kuga. Right outside Valencia, the Blue Oval intends to start producing the Bronco for Europe from 2028. There will also be two multi-energy crossovers, most likely hybrids but also internal combustion. On the commercial vehicle front, the range will be expanded with the Ranger Super Duty and the Transit City.
THE COLLABORATION WITH AMPERE REMAINS
But the real news is that, despite the reversal on electric (or perhaps precisely because of this decision, since the partnership seems to stem from Ford’s need to no longer invest heavily in the segment), the collaboration with the French Ampere recently announced will remain in place, which meanwhile Renault has effectively closed by absorbing its functions. In France, Ford intends to produce at least two models, a sedan and an SUV, both electric, which will have the Blue Oval design but the Ampere platform.
A LESS ELECTRIC RESTART, WHILE CUTS ARE MADE
All this happens, as is known, while American Ford pursues the goal of cutting 2,900 jobs (14 percent of the total) in its European factories by 2027: most of the layoffs will take place at the German Cologne plant, 800 in the United Kingdom, and 300 in other European Union countries.
