Ford Saarlouis Assembly Plant May Not Be Sold To BYD

As it aims to electrify its entire European passenger vehicle lineup by 2030, Ford is set to launch seven new EV models in that region by 2024 while also discontinuing ICE vehicles like the Ford Focus. In addition to cutting thousands of jobs due to the fact that EVs require less labor to produce than ICE models, FoMoCo is also closing some of its plants in that region – a list that includes the Ford Saarlouis Assembly plant in Germany. As Ford Authority reported last month, The Blue Oval is currently looking to sell the Ford Saarlouis Assembly plant, and has already attracted the interest of Chinese EV maker BYD, among others. However, it seems as if BYD may be having second thoughts about purchasing that facility, according to Bloomberg.

“We aren’t focusing on certain companies’ facilities,” said BYD Executive Vice President Stella Li. “We’re doing feasibility studies to see our plans for the future. Like if we set up our facility in that region, what’s the best solution out there?” Li also added that the company also currently has “no target countries to build facilities yet.”

Instead, BYD is also exploring the idea of building its own facility in Europe, where it’s aiming to establish its own sales and dealer networks. The company has become China’s largest producer of EVs over the years, capitalizing on making affordable all-electric models for the masses.

Meanwhile, Ford recently revealed that BYD was just one of 15 potential buyers it’s speaking to as it seeks to sell the Saarlouis plant, which is scheduled to stop producing Blue Oval models in 2025. That list includes Magna International and contract manufacturer VDL Nedcar, both of which currently produce vehicles for a variety of automotive manufacturers already.

We’ll have more on the future of all Ford plants soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for ongoing Ford news coverage.