Ford Motor Company has committed a further £149 million into making the UK its European hub for electric vehicle (EV) drivetrain production – safeguarding 500 highly skilled jobs.
Production targets have been increased the predicted production of EV motors and gearboxes at Merseyside’s Halewood manufacturing plant from 250,000 to 420,000 with the help of a further £125m in funding while the E:PRiME product development centre at Dunton receives an additional £24m.
The funding takes the total investment in EV component production in the UK to £380m to date.
The US OEM giant plans to transition to zero-emission car sales by 2030, followed by all vehicles including vans by 2035, and expects 70% of its European EVs to feature drivetrains built in the UK.
Earlier this year it revealed that it would grow its planned global EV production run rate from 600,000 units next year to two million by 2026
Kieran Cahill, Ford’s European industrial operations vice-president, 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.”
Halewood’s EV powertrains will power zero-emissions versions of its Ford E-Transit Custom, the recently unveiled E-Tourneo Custom, Transit Courier, Tourneo Courier, Puma crossover as part of the brand’s plan to sell nine EV models within the next two years.
Its new role was determined when the plant, which currently produces transmissions for internal combustion engine vehicles, won assembly of Ford’s EV power units last year.
The decision brought an initial backing of £230 million to deliver 250,000 units a year from 2024, supported by the UK Government’s BEIS’ Automotive Transformation Fund.
Ford’s E:PRiME centre, at Ford’s Dunton product development HQ, is building prototypes of the electric power unit and training Halewood employees in its machining and assembly, assisted by the Advanced Propulsion Centre.
International Trade Secretary Kemi Badenoch said: “Our support for Ford is great news for jobs in Essex and Merseyside and British manufacturing as a whole. Ford is a major employer in the UK and the high-skilled jobs it provides help communities to thrive.
“We have consistently backed Ford as it makes its critical transition towards electrification. Boosting electric car production is key to our strategy to combat climate change and today’s news demonstrates how our manufacturing industry, our exports and our economy will benefit from this transition.”