It wasn’t all that long ago, February of 2021 in fact, that Ford Europe announced it was “all-in on EVs.” It planned to invest $2 billion to transform the Cologne, Germany plant into an electric car production giant. The plan had stepping stones toward a fully electric 2030, including every one of its cars coming with a plug (PHEV or BEV) by 2026. It even developed the Europe-only Explorer EV (above), set to roll out on Volkswagen’s MEB platform this June. Ford Europe’s General Manager Martin Sander, however, has walked all of that back, saying that internal combustion engines could live on in the brand’s portfolio of offerings into 2030 and beyond.
“If we see strong demand, for instance for plug-in hybrid vehicles, we will offer them,” said Sander speaking at the Financial Times Future of the Car summit in London on Tuesday. He described demand for electric cars as “softer” than Ford had initially expected, with the company falling short of the targets it set for itself in 2021. “We just have to manage our way towards 100 percent electric drivetrains,” he continued.
Last year Ford started pushing back on EV production targets for the U.S. market, saying it would delay about $12 billion in EV spending as demand failed to surface. This news comes as Ford has managed to launch just three all-electric vehicles in the U.S. in the last half-decade, the $39,995 Mustang Mach E, the $62,995 F-150 Lightning, and the $51,095 E-Transit. Maybe if Ford were serious about electrification, it would build some cars that are actually affordable. The success of the $23,815 Maverick hybrid pickup truck should prove that Americans, at least, are interested in a less expensive vehicle that is cheaper to fuel.
While Ford Europe is taking a step back from its EV plans, it isn’t stepping away completely. The new Puma Gen-E, an electric version of its best-selling small SUV is expected to launch later this year. A new Ford EV based on Volkswagen’s ID.4 is also expected to debut in June. The company has also ended production of some of its most popular gas-only cars, like the Fiesta, Mondeo, and Galaxy, while the Focus will be phased out next year.