CORD FIESTA
Ford to make all its cars either electric or hybrid as Focus gets eco makeover
FORD is ditching petrol and diesel — as it turns its Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo electric.
The carmaker says it will have the first of its plug-in models — believed to be a small SUV — out by 2023.
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And it pledged that all of its cars will either be electric or hybrid within five years. Ford of Europe president Stuart Rowley said: “We are going all in on electric vehicles.”
The company sells more new cars in Britain than any other manufacturer — but has not built any here for two decades.
It had already announced the closure of its petrol engine plant at Bridgend, South Wales.
The latest announcement means it joins a growing list of carmakers — including Jaguar, Volvo and Bentley — to ditch the internal combustion engine.
Ford will spend £720million updating its factory in Cologne, Germany, to produce mass-market plug-in vehicles.
Production of diesel engines for the Ford Transit will continue for a few more years yet. The engines are made in Dagenham, East London. But its white vans will all be zero-emissions capable, fully electric or plug-in hybrid by 2024.
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Unite national officer for the automotive industries Des Quinn welcomed the move to more eco-friendly motoring.
He added: “Given the continuing popularity of its cars with the British public, we believe that now is the time for Ford’s executives to look to place new investment in the UK.”
Carmakers in Europe must sell more electric vehicles to meet new emissions standards.
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