Ford is investing £ 230 million ($ 316 million) in the production of electric vehicle components at its UK plant. As reported Bloomberg, the decision of the American automaker is connected with the promise of the United Kingdom to provide financial support.
The Halewood plant will be refurbished and will begin manufacturing components from 2024, enabling new technologies to be introduced into Ford’s electric vehicles. “This is a very important announcement for Halewood as it will secure the future of the venture,” said Stuart Rowley, President of Ford Europe. According to him, the plant currently employs about 500 people, and the company plans to keep jobs.
Investments in the UK auto industry plummeted during the protracted Brexit negotiations, making Ford’s decision to spend money on refurbishing the plant of particular importance to the country. The company has already entered into a rivalry with Tesla and has begun to develop the electric car industry in Europe. “In this highly competitive global EV race, our priority is to ensure that the UK benefits,” said Minister for Enterprise, Energy and Industrial Strategy Quasi Quarteng.
Earlier in 2021, Ford announced an ambitious goal: by 2030, the company plans to abandon fuel-powered cars and produce only electric vehicles in Europe. The American automaker is investing a billion dollars in the construction of a plant in Germany, where the production of electric cars will be established. Ford also plans that all passenger cars it sells in Europe will be fully electric or hybrid by mid-2026.
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