In an interview with Autocar, Marin Gjaja, COO of Ford's Model E electrification division, admitted the company was overly ambitious with its EV plans in Europe. "I think customers have voted, and they told us that was too ambitious," Gjaja said. "We don't see that going all-electric by 2030 [in Europe] is a good choice for our business or, especially, for our customers."
Ford announced in 2021 its intention to make its entire European fleet electric by 2030. However, recent reports suggest Ford will slow these plans. In May, Martin Sander, Ford of Europe's General Manager, told Automotive News that gas engines could continue past 2030. "If we see strong demand, for instance for plug-in hybrid vehicles, we will offer them."
Gjaja cites slowing EV adoption and rising costs as the main reasons for the recent rollback. Currently, Ford only sells two EVs in Europe: The Explorer EV and the Mustang Mach-E. The new Ford Capri will go on sale later this year.
Ford has not made any statements regarding its EV plans in the US. However, the company recently announced the expansion of its Super Duty truck production in Canada, which will include a hybrid option. More hybrids and plug-in hybrids remain part of Ford's strategy.
Source: Autocar
