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In October, Ford announced it would finally turn off the Fiesta. It is a sad day for fan of small hatchbacksalthough it’s probably sadder for those in Europe who still have access to the Fiesta after Ford stopped selling it in the US But electric cars have to be built, and to do that, the Fiesta has to die
Speaking to Autocar, Martin Sander, the head of Ford’s electrification division in Europe, said that killing the Fiesta “we didn’t do lightly, but we had to do something” to advance the automaker’s EV goals. “We decided to build our first high-volume electric vehicle here in Cologne,” Sander said. “There has come a point where we need space for construction because we are making the Fiesta plant a fully battery-powered power plant. This is why we had to make the decision that we had to stop production of the Fiesta.
Sander also said that Ford looked at all of its factories in Europe, and determined that the Cologne location was “the best place and the most natural place to make this big investment.” And it’s a big investment, totaling $2 billion. But “as a result, the Fiesta had to go.”
From the sound of it, the decision was also driven by a desire to increase revenue. As Sander said, “There are so many markets outside of Fiesta territory that need more battery-electric vehicles. In the months and years ahead, we’re going to be busy [building] a proper wide range at the higher end of the market.”
By 2026, Ford reportedly hopes to sell 600,000 EVs a year in Europe. To reach that goal, it will need to add several new cars to its lineup, including the Puma EV, as well as a Focus-sized car that will be built on Volkswagen’s MEB platform. And the American automaker doesn’t stop there. “Within 18 months, we will have four battery electric vehicles covering the low €30k to €80k, a large part of the market,” said Sander. “They will help us transform the brand and the business. This is a long-term vision.”
For an eventual return of Fiesta, don’t get your hopes up. Sander said he doesn’t “want to preside over anything” but said there are “no concrete plans” to restore the sub-compact. Which is sad but understandable. With so much love the Honda E, sales of the small, adorable car aren’t exactly setting records in Europe. The big money, especially in EVs, is in bigger cars, so that’s exactly what Ford will build.
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