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The Ford Fiesta was axed because the brand “needed factory space” in its transition to electrification.
Martin Sander, general manger of Ford’s Model E electrification division in Europe, told Autocar that the decision “we didn’t take lightly, but we had to do something” if Ford’s business was to change.
“We decided to build our first high-volume electric vehicle here in Cologne,” Sander said. “The point has come where we need space for construction, because we are turning the Fiesta plant into a fully battery-electric plant. This is why we had to make the decision that we had to stop production of the Fiesta.
Sander said that when Ford was evaluating its factories in Europe a few years ago, Cologne was “the best place and the most natural place to make this big investment” in electrification. Making Cologne an electric car plant involves a $2 billion investment. In coordinating its new factory line-up, “as a result, the Fiesta had to go”.
As for whether the Fiesta name will return, Sander said there are “no concrete plans” but “I don’t want to rule over anything” for the longer term in the future.
Ford is all-in on electric cars in Europe, and is completely revamping its model range to make it easier. Gone are names like not only the Fiesta, but also the Ka, Ford Focus, Ford Mondeo, Ford S-Max and Ford Galaxy. It’s well known that Ford’s traditional passenger car business has never been consistently profitable, which is why the company is heavily overhauling its model range, and sees the rise of electrification to transform the business this.
The Ford Puma will be the entry point to the range, and a new Ford Puma EV will be launched in 2024 after a summer 2023 unveil.
In March, Ford will present a new electric C-segment crossover based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform that will go on sale at the end of 2023. It will be followed a few months later by a different version of this car’s body style. Both will be built in Cologne, as part of a $2bn investment.
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