Ford to cut 1300 UK jobs as focus turns electric

Ford said it is responding to rapidly changing market conditions and a growing field of electric vehicle competitors entering the market.

“We are completely reinventing the Ford brand in Europe. Unapologetically American, outstanding design and connected services that will differentiate Ford and delight our customers in Europe”, Martin Sander, general manager of Ford Model e in Europe said in a statement. “We are ready to compete and win in Europe. Our first European-built electric passenger vehicle is being introduced this spring and will surely turn heads.”

The company said the actions announced on February 14, 2023, align its product development organisation and administrative functions in Europe, with a smaller, more focused, and increasingly electric product portfolio. The plans include cutting approximately 3,800 jobs through voluntary redundancies.

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“Paving the way to a sustainably profitable future for Ford in Europe requires broad-based actions and changes in the way we develop, build, and sell Ford vehicles,” said Sander. “This will impact the organisational structure, talent, and skills we will need in the future.”

By 2025, Ford said it plans to resize its European engineering footprint, resulting in 2,800 fewer jobs. These changes are driven by the transition to fully electric powertrains and reduced vehicle complexity. Ford will maintain an engineering organisation of approximately 3,400 roles in Europe, focused on vehicle design and development, as well as the creation of connected services.

“These are difficult decisions, not taken lightly. We recognise the uncertainty it creates for our team, and I assure them we will be offering them our full support in the months ahead. We will engage in consultations with our social partners so we can move forward together on building a thriving future for our business in Europe,” Sander said.

Most of the job UK job losses will be at Ford’s Centre of Excellence in Dunton.