Currently reading: Ford Fiesta axed to make space for new electric cars in Cologne

Ford Model E boss Martin Sander reveals Fiesta "had to go" as part of $2bn electrification push

The Ford Fiesta was axed as the brand “needed the space in the factory” in its switch to electrification.

Martin Sander, general manger of Ford's Model E electrification division in Europe, told Autocar that the decision was “not one we did light-heartedly, but we have to do something” if the Ford business was to change.

“We decided to build our first high-volume electric vehicle here in Cologne,” said Sander. “There comes the point where we need the space for construction, because we are turning the Fiesta plant into a fully battery-electric plant. This is why we had to make a decision that we have to stop Fiesta production.”

Sander said that when Ford was reviewing its European factories a few years ago, Cologne was “the best place and most natural place to make this major investment” in electrification. Making Cologne an electric car plant has come with a $2 billion investment. In co-ordinating its new factory line-up, “as a consequence, the Fiesta had to go”. 

Ford cologne ev factory render

As for whether the Fiesta name would return, Sander said that there were “no concrete plans” but “I don’t want to rule anything out” for the longer term future. 

Ford has gone all-in on electric cars in Europe, and is entirely overhauling its model range to facilitate. Gone will be names not only like the Fiesta, but also the Ka, Ford Focus, Ford Mondeo, Ford S-Max and Ford Galaxy. It is well known that Ford’s traditional passenger car business has never been consistently profitable, which is why the company is so dramatically overhauling its model range, and sees the rise of electrification to fundamentally change its business. 

The Ford Puma will become the entry point to the range, and a new Ford Puma EV will be launched in 2024 after a summer 2023 unveil.

In March, Ford will reveal a new electric C-segment crossover based on the Volkswagen Group MEB platform that will go on sale by the end of 2023. This will be followed a few months after by a different body style version of this car. Both will be built in Cologne, as part of the $2bn investment. 

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“There is so much market outside the Fiesta territory which needs more battery-electric vehicles,” said Sander. “Over the next months and years we will be busy [building] a proper broad range in a higher part of the market.”

Sander would not be drawn on the future of the ST and RS badges in the electric era for Ford. 

As part of this dramatic change in its operations, Ford has split its business into three distinct divisions: Model E, Pro and Blue. Model E will build electric cars, Pro commercial vehicles, and Blue internal combustion engined vehicles. From next year, each division will record its own profit and loss figure within the Ford financial results.

Ford cologne factory at night

Ford Model E aims to sell 600,000 electric cars per year in Europe by 2026, and every passenger car in showrooms will be electric by 2030. Other investments include a $490m investment in the Craiova plant in Romania to build the Puma EV, and a $470m in Halewood to build electric drivetrains.

Sander said Model E was about trying to make Ford “a brand you absolutely love”. It will not be a customer-facing brand, and all models will still wear the Ford badge. 

“In 18 months, we’ll have four battery electric vehicles covering low €30k to €80k, a huge part of the market,” said Sander. “These will help us transform the brand and the business. It’s a very long-term vision.” He added that it was one Ford “has to get right”. 

Mark Tisshaw

mark-tisshaw-autocar
Title: Editor

Mark is a journalist with more than a decade of top-level experience in the automotive industry. He first joined Autocar in 2009, having previously worked in local newspapers. He has held several roles at Autocar, including news editor, deputy editor, digital editor and his current position of editor, one he has held since 2017.

From this position he oversees all of Autocar’s content across the print magazine, autocar.co.uk website, social media, video, and podcast channels, as well as our recent launch, Autocar Business. Mark regularly interviews the very top global executives in the automotive industry, telling their stories and holding them to account, meeting them at shows and events around the world.

Mark is a Car of the Year juror, a prestigious annual award that Autocar is one of the main sponsors of. He has made media appearances on the likes of the BBC, and contributed to titles including What Car?Move Electric and Pistonheads, and has written a column for The Sun.

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artill 16 December 2022

Yet again, we hear the answer to the questions we didnt ask, is to go up market. I bet until a the pandemic hit and car prices started getting out of control nearly all Fords were under £30k, they are now going to start at that and go to 80K? Who do they think will buy these things. Who has enough money? The market for £50k plus cars has never been huge, and i see no reason why sticking batterys in them is going to make people wealthy enough, or stupid enough to buy them. Car sales will continue to fall as we go into the EV age, unless someone finds a way of selling them for high-teens, like the millions of Fiestas Ford used to sell