As one chapter closes, one other one is about to open. Ford is ending manufacturing of its top-selling Fiesta mannequin subsequent week because it gears up for an all-electric future. The compact automobile was retired to unencumber much-needed house at its Cologne, Germany, plant to construct Ford’s new electrical Explorer SUV.

Ford ends Fiesta manufacturing for electrical Explorer

Ford revealed final yr it could be dropping the long-lasting compact automobile from its lineup before anticipated because it accelerated its transition to EVs.

Based on Autocar, the final Fiesta mannequin will roll off the meeting line on July 7, 2023. After 47 years and eight generations, the Fiesta period is ending in favor of an electrical future.

The transfer got here after the American automaker introduced it could turn out to be an all-electric model in Europe by 2030, with 9 EV fashions in its lineup by 2024. Ford teamed up with Volkswagen in 2020 to speed up EV manufacturing within the area with plans to make use of VW’s MEB platform to launch its personal branded electrical fashions.

Ford expects the partnership to double deliberate quantity to 1.2 million items over the following six years.

After teasing a brand new medium-sized crossover EV, Ford lastly launched the absolutely electrical Explorer SUV in Europe in March, anticipated to begin at lower than $50,000 (€45,000).

The five-seat household SUV fuses American design with premium German Engineering leading to a trendy, useful mid-size crossover.

Following a $2 billion funding to rework its plant in Cologne, Germany, Ford opened the “Cologne Electrical Automobile Heart,” its first carbon impartial manufacturing facility on June 12. The brand new high-tech manufacturing facility is designed to provide next-gen EVs for the European market, beginning with the electrical Explorer.

Martin Sander, common supervisor of Ford Mannequin E Europe, mentioned, “We determined to construct our first high-volume electrical car right here in Cologne,” talking with Autocar in December. Sanders added:

There comes the purpose the place we’d like the house for development, as a result of we’re turning the Fiesta plant into a totally battery-electric plant. For this reason we needed to decide that we’ve got to cease Fiesta manufacturing.

The Fiesta was one in every of a number of ICE autos Ford retired (together with the S-Max and Galaxy minivans) to make means for EVs, together with the electrical Explorer.

Ford beforehand mentioned it would solely promote EVs within the area from 2030. The automaker goals to promote 600,000 electrical vehicles yearly by 2026 as it really works towards turning into an EV-only model in Europe by the tip of the last decade.