Mexican Media Brands
Ford Hints It Might Build EVs in Germany
Ford Motor Co.’s chief in Europe says it’s possible the company would begin making electric vehicles at its factory in Cologne, Germany, after 2023.
#hybrid
Share
Ford Motor Co.’s chief in Europe says it’s possible the company would begin making electric vehicles at its factory in Cologne, Germany, after 2023.
Gunnar Hermann tells Handelsblatt that the “purely hypothetical” target, marking the end of the lifecycle for the current-model Fiesta small car built in Cologne, “could be a good time” to make the switch.
Hermann says it would take 15 months to retool the factory and wouldn’t be worth the trouble unless the facility’s annual EV output surpassed about 30,000 units. He also adds that producing electrics sooner than about 2022 isn’t likely to be profitable because EV technologies are still too costly.
Last September Hermann said Ford might produce the StreetScooter Work XL electric delivery van at the Cologne plant, declaring “the demand is there.” Ford co-developed the truck, which is based on Ford’s Transit van, with Deutsche Post DHL Group.
Ford has said it plans to spend $5 billion by 2022 to launch 13 electrified vehicles around the world, including an all-electric model in Europe two years from now.
RELATED CONTENT
-
On Ford Maverick, Toyota Tundra Hybrid, and GM's Factory Footprint
GM is transforming its approach to the auto market—and its factories. Ford builds a small truck for the urban market. Toyota builds a full-size pickup and uses a hybrid instead of a diesel. And Faurecia thinks that hydrogen is where the industry is going.
-
FCA Opens the Door to The Future
FCA introduced a high-tech concept vehicle today, the Chrysler Portal, at the event previously known as the “Consumer Electronics Show,” now simply CES.
-
Honda to Make Hybrids in Thailand
Honda Motor Co. is preparing to launch production in Thailand of hybrid cars and the batteries that help power them.