Our car industry is in crisis as ‘Brits don’t want EVs’, Ford boss warns – just days after firm axed 800 jobs
BRITAIN'S car industry is in crisis as buyers don't want electric vehicles, Ford's UK boss has warned.
Lisa Brankin, chairwoman and managing director of Ford UK, has spoken out after the firm announced it is axing 800 British jobs.
She said a mandate to produce and sell more EVs "just doesn't work" and there needed to be a financial incentive.
Ms Brankin suggested the government needs to offer incentives like tax breaks to get people buying EVs.
Her comments come after Stellantis, the owner of Vauxhall, said it would close its plant in Luton - putting 1,100 jobs at risk.
Stellantis, which is Europe's second-biggest maker of cars, had been weighing up their options after months of discussions with the UK government over their electrification rules.
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Ms Brankin said Ford had invested £350m on producing electric cars in the UK, but still had to cut 800 jobs over the next three years.
She told BBC Radio 4's Today: "The one thing that we really need is government-backed incentives to urgently boost the uptake of electric vehicles.
"As an industry we have repeatedly said that we support the Government's trajectory and we support the ambition that the Government has set out, it's just that there isn't customer demand."
Brankin said the government needed to convince drivers to make the switch and that she was fine with its green ambitions.
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The Government has committed to banning the purchase of new petrol and diesel cars in 2030.
Hybrids will still be on sale until 2035.
At Question Time today Tory Party leader Kemi Badenoch queried Sir Keir Starmer about the Government's car strategy.
She said: "Does the Prime Minister stand by his promise to ban the sale of petrol cars by 2030 even if more jobs will be lost?"
The Prime Minister replied: "The question of the position of jobs in Luton is a very serious one and families and workers will be very worried and we're obviously engaging with them.
"I would remind the leader of the Opposition that the EV (electric vehicle) mandates that are an issue in this particular case were actually introduced by the last government.
"I would also remind her that she was the business secretary that introduced them."
Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said following Stellantis' closure announcement was a “very difficult day for Luton”.
Stellantis has said it will combine the remaining production from Luton with its other plant in Ellesmere Port.
Vauxhall, who have run for 167 years, are one of the UK's best-known car manufacturers.
Their current range includes the Astra, Corsa, Mokka, Crossland and Grandland, as well as the recently revised Frontera.
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This comes as Stellantis' rival Volkswagen announced they will shut at least three of its factories in Germany and lay off tens of thousands of staff.
The German car-making giants will also shrink their remaining plants and cut staff pay by 10% in a deeper-than-expected overhaul of one of the world's most recognisable brands.
