Ford in Europe recently announced another important stride toward an all-electric future, confirming that it has chosen its plant in Valencia, Spain, as the preferred site to assemble vehicles based on a next-generation electric vehicle (EV) architecture. Pending product approval, the Valencia plant could produce ‘breakthrough’ electric and connected vehicles beginning later this decade.

Ford said it is also moving forward with a $2 billion conversion of its operations in Cologne, Germany, where the company will begin producing EVs starting in 2023. By 2026, Ford in Europe plans to sell 600,000 electric vehicles annually.

Jim Farley, Ford’s president and CEO, said: “We are committed to building a vibrant, sustainable business in Europe as part of our Ford+ plan, and that requires focus and making tough choices. The European automotive industry is extremely competitive, and to thrive and grow we can never settle for less than unbelievably great products, a delightful customer experience, ultra-lean operations and a talented and motivated team.

“Continent-wide, EV sales continue to grow rapidly — up 65% to 2.3 million in 2021, according to the ‘International Energy Agency Global EV Outlook 2022’ — and the European Parliament voted earlier in June to set new CO₂ targets for light-duty vehicles, including a requirement that new sales be 100% zero-emission vehicles by 2035.”

Stuart Rowley, chairman of Ford of Europe and Ford’s chief transformation and quality officer, added: “We are accelerating our transformation in Europe, reimagining how we do business and building a future where amazing vehicles and relentless focus on customer experience goes hand-in-hand with protecting our planet.

“Bringing our all-new electric vehicle architecture to Valencia will help us build a profitable business in Europe, secure high-value employment and increase Ford’s offering of premium electric, high-performance, fully connected vehicles that meet the demands of our European customers.

“Ford is also investing heavily in electric vehicle manufacturing operations in Germany, and we are committed to the country as our headquarters location in Europe. We look forward to progressing this work with our partners in Germany and across the whole region. To secure new product in Europe we need winning product designs, outstanding technology and engineering, optimised sourcing, and an evolution of our industrial operations to ensure they are fully oriented to an electrified world.”