Updated: 21:03 AEDT, 14 November 2024
230
View
comments
Ford's bold electric car plans haven't got off to the intended start as the American brand has already been forced to reduce production of its two latest EV models at its Cologne factory due to low demand.
Both the new Explorer SUV and the controversial Capri are suffering from lower-than-expected sales.
Weak EV market conditions are also to blame, Ford has confirmed.
The new Ford Capri has been one of the most controversial releases in modern day motoring - but how does it drive? We reviewed it on launch to find out
The new Explorer has only been rolling off the production line since June, and assembly of the freshly launched Capri started in September.
Yet a Ford spokesman told German newspaper Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger: 'We produce more than we can sell,' as it becomes another car maker caught out by the slowdown in global EV sales.
It comes just weeks after Volkswagen said it could be forced to lay off thousands of staff, cut salaries, trim bonus schemes and even close three of its car factories in Germany as a result of a recent slump in sales, especially EVs.
Ford's new electric Capri has been dubbed the most controversial new car of 2024.
Both it and the Explorer share platforms with VW electric cars, but blue oval brand's latest model has triggered furious response from Capri devotees who accused Ford of 'blasphemy' and being 'disrespectful to the original Capri' by using the name on an electric SUV baring little to no resemblance to its namesake.
Despite a huge - and expensive - launch campaign fronted by former Manchester United footballer Eric Cantona - and a media blitz using his now infamous tag line 'the legend is back' - Ford would have been hoping for better sales figures.
Eric Cantona pictured with the 2024 Ford Capri having featured in a well-orchestrated viral social media campaign hinting at the return of one of the great automotive names of the seventies and eighties. 'The legend is back' is the tagline for the Capri campaign
Poor demand for EVs in Europe and particularly Germany are partly to blame for the decision to roll back outputs with a spokesman confirming 'the significantly lower than expected demand for electric vehicles, especially in Germany, requires a temporary adjustment to production volumes'.
Ford Europe has undergone a major strategy shift in the last few years as the brand focuses on EVs, culling some of its most popular combustion models.
Production of the Fiesta ended in July, with Britain's most popular car of all time axed so that the Cologne factory could be upgraded to an EV plant.
That announcement was followed by the execution of the Focus hatchback by the end of 2025.
The Mondeo, Galaxy, S-Max have all also been culled in the last 24 months.
Ford was committed to a 2030 all-electric lineup, but reversed its decision this summer.
Marin Gjaja told Autocar that 2030 was 'too ambitious' due to 'uncertainty' around EV demand and legislation, instead confirming that the brand would continue to offer new hybrid cars in Europe beyond that date.
Some links in this article may be affiliate links. If you click on them we may earn a small commission. That helps us fund This Is Money, and keep it free to use. We do not write articles to promote products. We do not allow any commercial relationship to affect our editorial independence.
Published by Associated Newspapers Ltd
Part of the Daily Mail, The Mail on Sunday & Metro Media Group