FORD INVESTS IN HALEWOOD PLANT TO SUPPLY EUROPEAN EV PRODUCTION
Ford, the fifth-largest global motor manufacturer, has announced that it has invested an additional £125 million in its Halewood Plant, increasing its investment to £380 million in total across its UK EV design and production facilities. The investment will drive increased electric vehicle production at the plant and is integral to the company’s European electrification plan, centred on zero-emission car and van sales.
The investment will help safe-guard 500 high-value jobs at the plant and allow for upskilling to increase the manufacture of EVs.
Ford’s European Industrial Operations vice-president Kieran Cahill said: “Ford is a global American brand, woven into the fabric of Europe for more than 100 years and a major employer here at Halewood for almost 60 years.
“Our vision in Europe is to build a thriving business, by extending leadership in commercial vehicles and through the electrification of our car range. Halewood is playing a critical part as our first in-house investment in EV component manufacturing in Europe.”
Ford intends to power 70 per cent of its EVs sold in Europe with power plants produced at Halewood by 2026 with a target of 420,000 units annually.
Tim Slatter, chairman of Ford UK, was keen to explain how critical the investment in Halewood will be for the company’s EV plans.
“This is an all-important next step for Ford towards having nine EVs on sale within two years,” said Tim Slatter. “Our UK workforce is playing a major role in Ford’s all-electric future, demonstrated by Halewood’s pivot to a new zero-emission powertrain.”
The investment in Halewood marks Ford’s first in-house investment in an all-electric vehicle component manufacturing facility in Europe. Ford intends that its entire vehicle portfolio will be zero-emission by 2035.
