They said goodbye to the Ford Fiesta after almost 50 years of faithful service. The Focus is also preparing for retirement, scheduled for 2025, while several other models are in the hot seat in Europe, amid the American manufacturer is in for a major overhaul.

Ford will soon completely renew its model range in Europe with the appearance of new 100% electric models. This will include a presentation very soon a new electric SUV for Europe.

Thousands of jobs will be cut in Europe

“We are preparing an organization and a product line that will allow us to compete with other manufacturers in a highly competitive region that is experiencing difficult economic and geopolitical times. »

This is how the press release begins with Ford’s announcement of its new strategy for the European market. This strategy aims to create “a structure with a lighter and more competitive price” which will also attract a loss of 3,800 jobs over the next three years. This decision will lead, in particular, to a round table with unions on voluntary redundancies and reclassifications.

“These are difficult decisions that are not taken lightly. We are aware of the uncertainty this creates for our teams and I assure them that we will offer them our full support in the coming months.”– said Martin Sander, managing director of Ford of Europe.

Ford will focus on fully electric

As mentioned above, Ford’s revival will take place in Europe with a new 100% electric SUV. It will also be produced on the Old Continent. This model will also not be related to any model that already exists in the United States.

How many new Fords will appear in the next few years? “Ford in Europe will have a smaller, more focused portfolio of electric products. Therefore, there will no longer be too wide a range, it is better to focus on a reduced number of models, with an emphasis on personalization. »

Costs related to research and development around electrics are the main reason for the job cuts in Europe, even though the manufacturer specifies that 3,400 engineers will be retained and focused on the design and development of new models.

As Ford points out, all over the world investments in electrification will amount to 50 billion dollars by 2026, to which will be added 141 million euros for the reconstruction of the Halewood factory in the United Kingdom and two billion dollars for the factory in Cologne, Germany. The plant in Valencia, Spain, will also produce Ford’s new electric models based on the new architecture.