Ford Backs Down from Going All Electric in Europe in 2030

In February 2021, Ford announced plans to sell only electric passenger cars in Europe from 2030. However, the slower-than-expected adoption of EVs is forcing the company to revise its initial plan. The new strategy doesn't rule out selling vehicles with combustion engines into the next decade should there be enough demand.

Automotive News Europe cites Ford of Europe's General Manager Martin Sander saying ICE could live to see the 2030s: "If we see strong demand, for instance for plug-in hybrid vehicles, we will offer them." Speaking in London this week at the Financial Times Future of the Car summit, the head honcho admitted demand for EVs has been "softer" than originally estimated by Ford.

Ford has been preparing for an all-electric passenger car lineup in recent years. It shockingly ended production of the Mondeo on April 4, 2022, at the plant in Valencia, Spain. The EcoSport was phased out in December 2022 from the Craiova factory in Romania. The company also killed the Fiesta on July 7, 2023, at its site in Cologne, Germany. The S-Max/Galaxy minivan bid adieu in April 2023 when the last units were produced at the Almussafes factory in Valencia.

Next year, the last Focus will roll off the assembly line in Saarlouis, Germany. Earlier this month, Martin Sander told Autocar the decision to discontinue the Focus in 2025 is final. Meanwhile, the former star of Ford's lineup is on life support in three body styles: hatchback, sedan, and wagon.

How is Ford filling these holes in its decimated European lineup? A fully electric version of the Puma subcompact crossover is debuting later this year. The Puma Gen-E will be assembled at the firm's Craiova plant in Romania. A zero-emission Explorer on Volkswagen's MEB platform will enter production in June at the Cologne plant.

Pictured here, the electric SUV's rollout was delayed due to the adoption of a new European standard for electric vehicles (UN Regulation 100.3/ ECE-R 100.3). A second Ford EV on the platform that has underpinned vehicles such as the VW ID.4 will premiere sometime next month. It could be a badge-engineered ID.5 with a rakish roofline and might revive the "Capri" moniker.

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