Ford revises ambitious electric vehicle plan amidst market realities
Do you remember Ford's declaration that it would sell only electric vehicles by 2030? Someone in the management realized that this was not the way to go.
Marin Gjaja, chief operating officer of Ford's electric division, admitted in an interview with Autocar magazine that the company had abandoned the idea of selling exclusively electric vehicles by 2030. The reason? Uncertainty regarding the demand for electric cars and legislative issues.
The varying speed at which markets adapt to electric vehicles, the high costs of batteries, and the discontinuation of government incentives are reasons why the focus has shifted to hybrid drives for the Puma, Focus, and Kuga.
"Customers have spoken and told us that the plan was too ambitious if I can put it that way. I think everyone in the industry understood this through painful examples. Reality has verified the plans," said Gjaja.
However, Ford still intends to sell only electric vehicles in the UK, where the Labour Party plans to reinstate the ban on the sale of combustion vehicles as early as 2030.
Ford recently unveiled the electric Capri model, which, like the Explorer, was developed in collaboration with Volkswagen. Electric versions of the Puma and Tourneo Courier are also planned.
