Ford of Europe is one of 28 companies calling on the European Union to ban the sales of new petrol and diesel cars and vans in Europe by 2035.
Ford’s announcement follows a proposal put forward by the EU itself last year to cut vehicular C02 emissions in their entirety by 2035 across its 27 member states. In response, Ford is now calling for the EU to “establish mandatory targets for charging infrastructure” across the continent in a bid to accelerate Europe’s goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, in lieu of a set-date for the end of ICE sales.
Ford F-150 Lightning from the Rouge Electric Vehicle Center
Such a move would essentially introduce a set timeline for manufacturers and suppliers to follow as the motoring industry begins its en-mass transition to electrification, and would emulate a similar ban in the United Kingdom, which will see no new petrol or diesel cars sold after 2030.
“At Ford in Europe, we believe that freedom of movement goes hand-in-hand with caring for our planet and each other,” Ford of Europe chairman Stuart Rowley explains. “That’s why we are targeting all Ford vehicles to be zero emission by 2035. To successfully achieve this, EU policymakers must also establish mandatory national targets for a seamless electric charging infrastructure that lives up to the growing demand for electric vehicles.”
Ford is among many manufacturers to have already announced plans to stop launching new ICE models in Europe in the near-future (2030), Stellantis, Renault, and Hyundai among others having also planned to do so by 2026, 2030, and 2035 respectively. Indeed, Ford’s electrification strategy will see the Blue Oval put 40 new electrified vehicles on the road by the end of the year as part of a $22 billion investment through to 2025.
In Europe in particular, Ford’s manufacturing base in Cologne, Germany, is already run on 100 per cent renewable energy, and is set to manufacture 1.2 million electric vehicles over six years with Ford having invested $2 billion refurbishing the facility for EV and battery production.
On top of this, Ford has also joined forced with Volkswagen to develop new electric vans. The ‘Modular Electric Drive Kit’ (MEB) platform at the heart of the new ID.Buzz Cargo will also underpin the new Tourneo Custom, one of three new electric passenger vehicles and four new electric commercial vehicles to be introduced by Ford in Europe by 2024. Announced in March this year, the Blue Oval has targeted sales of “more than 600,000” EVs in Europe by 2026.
