Ford reduces electric car production again

According to the same source, it could also happen in the first part of 2025

By: Eleonora Lilli

Nov 14, 2024 at 4:03am ET

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'We are producing more cars than we can sell'. It is with this internal communication, reported by the daily newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, that Ford justified to the employees of the Cologne plant in Germany the decision to reduce shifts (they will alternate between a week of work and a week of stop). According to the same source, this could also happen in the first part of 2025.

In 2018, Ford had already reduced its workforce in Cologne, from 20,000 to 13,000 people, and now that the low demand for electric cars, as we are aware, is also putting a strain on other manufacturers, as well as the Volkswagen Group.

Uncertainty and low demand

As Automotive News Europe recalls, Ford has invested $2 billion in the Cologne plant to produce the Explorer and Capri based on the Volkswagen Group's MEB platform.

The Ford Explorer in production

The weak demand for electric vehicles in Europe, the lack of an extensive charging network and the still high prices for battery-powered cars have complicated the situation.

How the product plan is changing

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To compensate for falling demand, with few combustion products, Ford has focused on more profitable light commercial vans, such as the Transit range, and, according to Automotive News, will stop producing the Focus in Saarlouis, Germany, next year and is looking for investors to take over the factory.

As reported on Motor1.com, in fact, the CEO, Jim Farley, thinks it is not worth investing in the Fiesta and Focus and is better to focus on models like the Bronco, Mustang and Raptor. "We are moving out of the boring car business and into the iconic vehicle business," said Farley. Meanwhile Ford Europe recently dropped its plan to become exclusively electric from 2030.