Ford Motor Company said on Tuesday it is investing €248 million in the production of a new light commercial vehicle at its Craiova assembly plant in Romania starting in 2023 with a fully electric version to ready a year later, according to seenews.com.
„It will be Ford’s first full-electric vehicle built in Romania,” said the company in a press release.
„Our plan to build a new light commercial vehicle in Romania that reflects our fruitful and ongoing partnerships with local suppliers and the community, as well as the success of the entire Ford Craiova team,” said the President of Ford Europe, Stuart Rowley.
„By introducing a fully electric version in 2024, Craiova will become our third factory in Europe where fully electric vehicles are produced. The investment in Craiova comes in the context of the other investments already announced for the Ford Electrified Vehicle Center in Cologne (Germany) and for the Kocaeli plant of Ford Otosan in Turkey and sends a clear signal about our promise to offer European customers, commercial vehicles with zero emissions,” said Ford
„The exact production start date of the new vehicle and additional details are to be disclosed closer to launch,” added the company.
In February, Ford pledged to have its full range of commercial vehicles in Europe zero-emissions capable, all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2024. Two-thirds of Ford’s commercial vehicle sales are expected to be represented by all-electric or plug-in hybrid models by 2030.
The President of Ford Europe explained that the new investment demonstrates the company’s hope that the Romanian government will provide all the key improvements promised to support a competitive production environment in the region, including transportation infrastructure.