Engineering news
The automotive giant announced plans to invest up to £230m in the Halewood vehicle transmission facility today (18 October).
Power unit production is expected to begin in mid-2024, with production capacity of about 250,000 units a year. The investment – subject to and including government support through its Automotive Transformation Fund – will help safeguard jobs, Ford said.
“This is an important step, marking Ford’s first in-house investment in all-electric vehicle component manufacturing in Europe,” said Ford of Europe president Stuart Rowley.
“It strengthens further our ability to deliver 100% of Ford passenger vehicles in Europe being all-electric and two-thirds of our commercial vehicle sales being all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030.”
Halewood currently builds transmissions for a number of Ford passenger and commercial vehicles, exporting 100% of its production. Ford is one of the UK’s largest exporters, exporting engines and transmissions to more than 15 countries on six continents, with overseas sales generating about £2.5bn annually.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said: “Ford’s decision to build its first electric vehicle components in Europe at its Halewood site is further proof that the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for high-quality automotive manufacturing. In this highly competitive, global race to secure electric vehicle manufacturing, our priority is to ensure the UK reaps the benefits.
“Today’s announcement, backed by government funding, is a huge vote of confidence in Britain’s economic future and our plans to ramp up electric vehicle production. It will future-proof Halewood’s proud industrial heritage and secure high-skilled, well-paid jobs across the North West for years to come.”
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