Ford starts electric motor production in the UK
The electric drives produced in Halewood will be used in the new Puma Gen-E, as well as in the E-Transit Custom and E-Tourneo Custom. In other words, the electric drives from Halewood are exported to Romania and Turkey. The Puma Gen-E, which was presented this week, and the small panel vans E-Transit Courier and E-Tourneo Courier are manufactured in Craiova, Romania, while the E-Transit Custom and its passenger car version E-Tourneo Custom will roll off the production line at the Ford Otosan assembly plant in Yeniköy, Turkey.
Ford announced in 2021 that it would invest £230 million in the conversion of the former transmission plant in Halewood. With a further £150 million released at the end of 2022, production capacity was even increased from the initially planned 250,000 units to 420,000 electric drives per year – or 70 per cent of the 600,000 electric vehicles that Ford plans to sell in Europe by 2026. Of the total £380 million (around €458 million at the current exchange rate), the British government contributed just over £30 million (around €36 million) in subsidies.
With the exception of the two MEB models from the Cologne plant (for which Volkswagen supplies the drives), virtually all electric motors for the Ford models built in Europe come from Halewood. Different power levels are produced; vehicles with 100 kW, 123 kW, 160 kW and 210 kW have been announced so far.
The Halewood plant is located in the Liverpool area. However, a Ford site in Dunton, Essex (east of London), in which Ford has invested £24 million, has also played an important role: Not only did the prototype development take place there, but also the training and further education of employees for eDrive assembly.
Kieran Cahill, Ford’s Vice President European Industrial Operations, emphasised the 60-year history of the plant and the strength of the local team in his statement: “Their skill, dedication, and pride are what power our electrification journey. With Halewood leading the way as our first in-house EV component manufacturing site in Europe, we’re building a thriving future together, with nine electric vehicles on the road in Europe by 2025.”
“The start of eDrive production at Halewood is a proud moment for us,” said Lee Meyers, Halewood Plant Manager. “We’re not only embracing an exciting technological transformation but also contributing to the UK’s electric future while investing in our team and community. This plant, our people, and the region have a bright future as part of Ford’s electrification journey.”
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