The Ford factory in Almussafes is looking forward to an investment that has now been slowed down due to the low sales of electric cars in Europe. All expenses are cut. The electrification movement in Europe is unstoppable, or at least that is the intention of the region’s politicians. However, the figures seem to contradict the discourse. Although sales are evolving, electric cars are already surpassing diesel cars, in recent months many manufacturers have raised the alarm. Registrations are slowing and several brands have reduced investment or lowered their targets. This is a setback for many factories that now see how their future is not so guaranteed. The Ford Center in Almussafes, Valencia, is one of those that has seen its plans frozen.
Americans have been among the first to want to adopt a change that is not so clearly seen now. Over the next few years, Ford wants to boost the sale of electric vehicles in the region. The goal of those from Michigan has been to partner with large European manufacturers to promote their electric stage. The new Ford Explorer is the clearest example of this change in trend. A 100% electric SUV was born in collaboration with the Volkswagen Group and the use of the MEB platform. However, the launch plans have been delayed by a few months. There is no specific date for its arrival. A bad omen.
Investment freezes while jobs hang by a thread
Ford’s electrical division is constantly suffering massive losses. Billions lost on a long-term strategy that doesn’t seem to be working. Already in the United States, Ford has assured that it will reduce objectives with the freezing of some projects and the transformation of some factories, national and international. The continuity of the Almussafes plant has been hanging by a thread for many months. The doubts were between the center of Cologne, Germany, and the Spanish one. Finally, the directors decided on our house.
Everyone received the news with great joy since the plan allowed the plant to be kept open for years to come. Ford was going to allocate a large investment in the region, but now everything is in limbo. As reported by the Automotive Tribune, the Americans have frozen the project, which leaves thousands of jobs in the air. Last March, the first ERE of 1,000 workers was already proposed due to the change in direction. Now, everything takes a darker turn since it is not known how this suspension may affect. Internal sources acknowledge that the situation leaves them “on the wire.”
As a countermeasure, Ford is expected to boost sales of hybrid vehicles. Currently, the Valencian facilities produce the entire range of the Ford Kuga, the brand’s most popular model in Europe, as well as various vans, which will soon disappear from the workforce due to a production reorganization. The factory unions hope that the brand will guarantee the production of 200,000 units per year, a figure that would not only keep Almussafes alive but would also allow the brand to make an electric transition without further shocks. At the moment, although Ford has not yet commented on the final strategy, new layoffs have not been ruled out
