But where is Ford going?

Ford surprised everyone last October by announcing the imminent disappearance of the Fiesta from the catalog. No longer quite in the odor of sanctity since the arrival of its SUV equivalent, the Puma, the city car had just been fairly deeply restyled. After 47 years of good and loyal service, she will retire next June. But that’s not all because the rumors concerning the very likely shutdown of the Focus in 2025 are rife and it is rumored that the Kuga could also take to their heels (we will come back to this). Knowing that the Mondeo has already gone on tiptoe, finally wheels, you will have understood it, the range of the American manufacturer in 2025 would have absolutely nothing to do with the one we knew ten years ago early. Many positions are in fact at stake and the discontent is starting to rise on the side of the employees, according to a recent article by our colleagues fromAutomotive News Europe in collaboration with Reuters.

Thousands of posts soon to be deleted?

According to the information available to these two media, Germany would be particularly affected. At the technical center of Merkenich, 2,500 positions out of 3,800 could be threatened. In Cologne, where the European headquarters are located, it would be 20% of the workforce, around 700 people who would lose their jobs. The sites of Aix-la-Chapelle, still in Germany, and Dunton, in the United Kingdom, are also potentially concerned.

How did we get here ?

Fewer models

The reasons leading to this explosive situation are numerous. Firstly, with a range that is shrinking to a trickle, product development needs are no longer as high. If, as we have already pointed out, it is a certainty for the Fiesta, it seems more and more likely that the Focus will leave in turn. Which, in itself, is not a surprise, since its results are average. And that it is a compact sedan. However, it is not good to be a compact sedan these days. The proof, the Golf lost its crown as the most popular vehicle on the European continent in 2022… and even left the podium!

Another model which is threatened, the Kuga, and it is more surprising because its sales are more than correct. However, Jim Farley, the CEO of Ford, told American journalists that he was forced to make strategic choices, that not all the models could be saved and that he was going to focus on models with a strong image: “we won’t have generic products like Edge or Escape ( the name taken by the Kuga on the other side of the Atlantic, Ed). Mustangs and Broncos…good idea.” And since the Kuga is a vehicle with a global vocation, stopping its marketing in the United States should naturally lead to its disappearance in Europe. In addition, it has recently become known that the Spanish factory in Valencia where it is assembled will be transformed to accommodate new zero-emission models.

Electrification et simplification des process

Precisely, another explanation: massive electrification. Remember, Ford has planned to go all-electric from 2030. So certainly, the company is investing massively in favor of this transition (2 billion will for example be spent to convert the Cologne plant) but, as Automotive points out News Europe, the production of electric models would require less work and therefore less manpower…

Ah yes, one last thing, but we talked about it recently, the recent collaboration with Volkswagen is already under threat. This should not help Ford’s business since this alliance precisely made it possible to make economies of scale. It’s that we will have to find a way to finance a 100% electric home platform, and therefore save money on other items…

Also read on Auto-Moto.com:

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