Ford has launched or announced that it’s preparing to launch a number of new models in the Middle East recently, including the current-gen Ford F-150, the high-performance desert-racing Ford Bronco Raptor, the all-new Ford Taurus (which is a rebadged Mondeo), the refreshed Ford Expedition, the Ford Territory, and the next-generation Ford Ranger Raptor. Now, the next Blue Oval products headed to that same region are a bevy of Ford EVs, according to Bloomberg.
Chris Noel, managing director of Ford Middle East and Africa, confirmed that multiple Ford EVs will debut in the oil-rich region – first, in six countries in the Persian Gulf, followed by a wider launch across the Middle East. Noel declined to say which Ford EVs the company will sell in the region, but noted that the automaker planned on making this move some time ago, yet opted to wait until it could ramp up production of those models.
“We just don’t have the manufacturing capacity,” Noel said in an interview. “We can’t build them fast enough to bring them to the market, which is why it’s so critical that we get this new capacity on the street.” However, production capacity isn’t the only reason for this delay, it seems, as the climate in this region also poses its own unique challenges in the form of excessive dust and extreme heat. “Lithium battery packs don’t like the heat, particularly not excessive heat, and so we’ve got to make sure that they’re cooled and operated properly in this environment,” Noel said. “We’ve already had a couple of vehicles here on test last year and they did exceptionally well.”
Regardless, Noel expects Ford EVs to perform admirably in the Middle East once those models launch. “We’ve seen adoption rates in some of the Middle East markets exceed the growth curve that the industry data had projected,” he said. “Israel is already at 10 percent for battery electric vehicles. It’s actually quite surprising considering the acquisition cost that they’ve achieved that level of penetration so quickly.”
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Comments
I would like to point out in UAE, the Mustang Mach-E is currently on sale, I have seen couple of them, and also several months ago, a Rivian R1T and the Lightning were spotted in Saudi Arabia tho there were no additional information about them,
Could be grey market imports.
If they are ‘grey market’… it would point to that very small market segment of wealthy individuals that don’t actually give a hoot about benefits of the so called clean tech.
They can afford it and just want the latest bling… which was the case for Tesla early days success.
BEV’s remain too expensive and a bridge too far to cross due to there limitations.
I suspect you are more of ‘new tech’ gotta have it kind of guy due to your non existent tolerance for anything that doesn’t sing BEV praises.
This is subtle distinction that I have long held you like to ignore…. but cannot bring yourself to admit.
U.S. carmaker Ford Motor Co signed a final investment agreement with PT Vale Indonesia, and China’s Zhejiang Huayou Cobalt on Thursday to build a $4.5 billion nickel processing plant in Indonesia’s Southeast Sulawesi.
Go big or go home me says… hope Ford knows what its doing?
Mmmmmm, gas in middle east is what, like 10 cents a gallon and I’m going to buy an electric car that will definitely overheat and no chargers!??!!! I don’t think so!