Innocent BenjaminThe world’s fifth largest and USA’s second largest vehicle manufacturers, Ford, have revealed a blueprint to go 100% electric by the turn of the decade.
The automaker, which was established in 1903 boast a line a production that ranges through all types of vehicles from tractors to trucks to buses to motorcars to sport cars and passenger vehicles.
The company have always expressed an ambition to produce cars that address safety and climate change concerns as well as greenhouse gas emissions.
They made the first car with a safety glass in the windshield in 1930 before going one step further in 1956 by availing rear seat belts for the first time ever in any car.
In the past decade, they became the first automaker to make an E85 Flexible fuel vehicle available, with the car supporting biofuel which proved a better alternative to environment hazardious combustion gasoline and diesel.
In 2004, they showed their interest in producing environmental-friendly commodities when they launched the first ever hybrid SUV in the world .
Ford have now committed to changing all of their commercial vehicle feet into electric-powered, taking full effect by 2030. But this development will not come instantaneously, as all commercial vehicle production will first be restricted to plug-in hybrid and full-electric by 2024, while passenger cars will get the electric treatment in 2026, so that customers could acclimatise to this change. By 2030, sale of hybrids will be discontinued and production will then restricted to full-electric to promote Ford’s zero-emission policy.
To kick off this revolution, Ford will be injecting $1 billion worth of investments into upgrading their assembly facility in Cologne, Germany, where their first European-built 100% electric vehicle will be produced in 2023.
The President of the European wing of Ford, Stuart Rowley, said in a statement,
“Our announcement today to transform our Cologne facility, the home of our operations in Germany for 90 years, is one of the most significant Ford has made in over a generation. It underlines our commitment to Europe and a modern future with electric vehicles at the heart of our strategy for growth.”
This development came barely two days after competitors, Jaguar, announced plans to route a similar direction by 2025, amid tighter regulations and heavy fines imposed by the European Union on emission.
OFONIMEH JOHNSON
James steller
Mitrobe Staff