The automaker has announced an investment package to drive the electrification of its vehicle fleet.
Ford no longer wants to compete in Europe with a model for each market segment, but only invests in particularly popular types of cars.
In its program for the future presented today, the automaker announced three new electric passenger cars, two of which are to be manufactured in Cologne.
Tobias Piller
Editor in Business.
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An electrically powered SUV is to be presented as early as 2023, which will have brand-typical characteristics and design, but is technically based on the MEB platform of electric Volkswagens such as the ID4.
A year later, a lower model will follow on the same platform, which will be positioned between two previous combustion models in terms of length, the 4.40 meter long Ford Focus and the 4.86 meter long discontinued model Ford Mondeo.
Although shorter than the Mondeo, the future electric model can still offer a similar amount of space because the electric drive takes up far less space than the previous engine under the long bonnet.
For the new models and for a battery assembly plant in Cologne, Ford wants to double the previously planned investments in Cologne to 2 billion dollars.
Before the future program was announced, the most important Ford factory in Cologne was in danger of being left without work.
Because there the low-yield small car Ford Fiesta is produced so far, for which there will be no successor.
In addition to the two electric models from Cologne, an electrified version of the sporty small SUV Ford Puma is now also planned, as well as medium-sized and large delivery vans with electric drives.
Their production is to be concentrated on Romania and Turkey.