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The good news comes to us around the holiday of December 1. Based on market information, Ford could choose Craiova to produce an electric model. The decision has yet to be made, although the Germans are convinced that it will take place in Germany.
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If we believe the German publications, the choice of Ford has already been made, and the Cologne plant would produce from 2023 an electric model on the MEB platform provided by Volkswagen. On the other hand, Ford denied such a decision, so hopes for the Craiova plant remain. Ford also has a third option, the Saarlouis plant, where the Focus is currently produced.
According to the local publication Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, Ford will invest one billion euros to convert the Cologne plant into the production of electric cars. This plant currently produces the small-class Fiesta model. The US producer did not confirm the information and declined to “comment on speculation.”
“We previously announced that we will build a new electric vehicle for Europe based on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Platform (MEB – no) from 2023, but we have not yet confirmed the location and did not comment on speculation,” said a Ford spokesperson. for Automotive News Europe.
Ford’s electric model based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform is being developed at Ford’s European development center in Merkenich, near Cologne. However, Ford is considering producing a second electric model using the same platform. Ford could choose the same factory or another of the existing options.
Why would Ford Craiova choose to produce an electric model?
Ford’s Craiova plant, which was said to produce an electric model, has the advantage of having significantly lower labor costs than production units in Germany. As disadvantages, the horizontal industry is not yet ready for the production of components for electric cars, which would create a logistical problem.
On the other hand, Marelli will produce electric propulsion systems in Cologne, in an industrial zone that even belongs to Ford. Another interesting fact, although not related to Ford, is SVOLT’s decision to build a factory to produce batteries for electric cars in Saarlouis. As the production of the Focus in Saarlouis is not going very well, Ford could decide to bring an electric model here.
Ford has unveiled its first electric model, the Mustang Mach-e, which will be produced in the United States and imported to Europe next year. It has a price close to 50,000 euros. A European model built on the MEB platform should be feasible at a price of around 30,000 euros to reach the volumes expected by Ford.
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