Ford has announced that it will be adding seven more electric vehicles to its European line-up by 2024, including a plug-in Puma, Transit Custom, and an all-new Escape-sized SUV.
The seven electric vehicles confirmed include three passenger vehicles and four iterations of Transit, comprising two Transit Customs (an entry-level one-tonne van and a Tourneo) and and two European-market Transit Couriers.
In a statement published overnight, Ford said it’s working on an “all-new electric vehicle, medium-sized crossover”, which could shape up as a cousin to the Escape.
It’s set to share the same MEB platform as the Volkswagen ID.4. Its name will be unveiled later this year, with production following in 2023.
The last of its passenger cars on the roster was not detailed in the brand’s release.
The Puma and Transit Custom announcements could be big news for the New Zealand market. Ford’s local arm has already confirmed the full-size E-Transit for our market. Adding an electric Transit Custom could give the group a significant leg-up on the model’s key rival, the Toyota Hiace.
Speaking to FleetTalk, a Ford New Zealand spokesperson confirmed that there’s “no news for NZ” regarding a local launch for any of the aforementioned models. Nevertheless, we expect that each will eventually be confirmed for local sale.
The update comes after Ford recently announced it would be splitting its business into two groups, with electric vehicle development to sit under the new ‘Ford Model e’ umbrella.
In order to deal with the additional production load the new models will bring, Ford has upped its investment in the Ford Cologne Electrification Centre. It expects the plant to be producing 1.2million EVs over a six-year period. It expects to be selling more than 600,000 EVs a year by 2026.
Ford also plans to increase investment with its Craiova plant in Romania. This is where the electric Puma will be built.
Lastly, the brand has also confirmed big investment in battery production in Turkey, via an agreement with Koç Holding. Pending some final approvals, the Koç Holding is set to start building high nickel NMC cells for Ford by the middle of the decade.
