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Ford Criticizes UK PM’s Move To Roll Back 2030 ICE Ban

Currently, Ford plans to go all-electric across its entire European passenger vehicle lineup by 2030 or sooner following the introduction of a host of new EV models, including the recently-revealed Ford Explorer EV. However, while the European Union is currently planning on banning the sale of new ICE vehicles in 2035 – minus some exceptions – the same cannot be said for the UK, which recently exited the EU and is currently debating what its own emissions requirements might look like. Back in June, Tim Slatter, the chairman of Ford of Europe, suggested that the UK should follow EU regulations to make things simpler for everyone involved, and also criticized some recent comments from UK Prime Minster Rishi Sunak, who wants to push the ban back, saying it would “unfairly impact the public.” Now, another Ford executive has come out against this proposed delay.

“Three years ago, the government announced the UK’s transition to electric new car and van sales from 2030. The auto industry is investing to meet that challenge,” said Lisa Brankin, Ford UK Chair. “Ford has announced a global $50 billion commitment to electrification, launching nine electric vehicles by 2025. The range is supported by £430 million invested in Ford’s UK development and manufacturing facilities, with further funding planned for the 2030 timeframe.”

“This is the biggest industry transformation in over a century and the UK 2030 target is a vital catalyst to accelerate Ford into a cleaner future. Our business needs three things from the UK government – ambition, commitment, and consistency. A relaxation of 2030 would undermine all three. We need the policy focus trained on bolstering the EV market in the short term and supporting consumers while headwinds are strong – infrastructure remains immature, tariffs loom, and cost-of-living is high.”

Sunak previous said that the UK will “make progress towards net zero” but “in a proportionate and pragmatic way” that “doesn’t unnecessarily give people more hassle and more costs in their lives. That’s not what I’m interested in and prepared to do.” Sunak added that he remains committed to reaching net zero emissions eventually, but he also believes in exploring other clean energy sources rather than focusing only on electrification, though his opponents – both political and those from the automotive industry – don’t seem to agree.

We’ll have more on this proposed ICE ban soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for 24/7 Ford news coverage.

Brett's lost track of all the Fords he's owned over the years and how much he's spent modifying them, but his current money pits include an S550 Mustang and 13th gen F-150.

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Comments

  1. The idiots at Ford have no one to blame but themselves. They bought into the EV push hook line and sinker. Now, when someone wants to slow down the changeover because it would unfairly impact the public, Ford is like, well too bad, we don’t care about the public, just buy our overpriced products. They invested billions on the notion that someone was going to flip a switch in 2030 and the gas would be turned off (metaphor). So get out the crying towel and let the sobbing begin.

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  2. Fird actually employs idiots like these? Nothing like shooting yourself in the foot. If Brits want ICE vehicles, they should be allowed to buy them and Ford should be able to profit.

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  3. Less and less people doing the hard maths at Ford these days.

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  4. Ford knows that unless consumers are forced to, EVs will maintain themselves as a niche. They also know that their majority shareholder large banks would have gutted them if they didn’t comply with their ESG score demands to go all EV.

    They’re screwed either way, and they’re mad that they’re losing the support to force consumers into expensive vehicles they don’t want.

    At the end of the day, Ford didn’t have a choice really. They could have held back on EVs and had their financial lifelines pulled and major shareholders crush them. They know that they aren’t going to be successful unless people have no choice but to buy what they’re told, and even then they’ll likely just see a massive shrink in sales.

    Removing all ICE bans is the right thing to do for consumers, but it will just solidify the fact that EVs will be a disaster of an investment for the automakers. And with the governments pulling support for these mandates, it stands to reason that they’re not going to bail these companies out either. That’s probably what they’re most pissy about, they’re gonna be in rough shape financially and they can’t even fall back on “we did what you told us to do and we went bankrupt because of you so you gotta bail us out”.

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  5. Should never of stopped the fiesta, I’ve been in industry for 42 years best car I’ve ever sold ,then they pull it build electric cars that nobody can afford and have no longevity, come on Ford start building cars for the people again not these useless computers on wheels that need an app to use oh and a charging point that we haven’t got and a grid system that is so far behind , regards , Ian from the U.K.

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    1. Spot on Ian.
      Maybe they will re-start Fiesta production for another 5 years….oh no, that would be far too sensible

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  6. Is this the same Ford Motor Company that is losing thousands and thousands of dollars on EVERY EV they are selling? THAT Ford?

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    1. Yes, same Ford. Now they want our hard earned tax dollars to float their intentional failure.

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  7. The worst thing you can do to any manufacturer is constantly change direction. Companies need to make investments and plans to meet the change, especially one has significant as your powerplant. So I hope someone chastises the PM and tells him to stay the course so all the money invested won’t be burned. EV’s are just starting to come out in quantity which is driving down the cost making them available to everyone.
    Its a HUGE step forward. Can’t help think he hasn’t taken a bribe. Oil has a lot of money

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    1. You are right, I suspect the announcement is to pander to readers of the Daily Fail and hope they will vote Tory next year.

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  8. Stupid. Most Americans refuse to buy EVs, as indicated by almost every automotive news article. No one in our family is ever buying one, our kids know not to buy one either.

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    1. The announcement is about policy in the UK.
      Sadly the US is far behind Europe in going green.

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  9. What happens when all the resources for batteries dry up, it will all go tit’s up then,Ford like everyone else wants to start building new engines for the green fuel that they will be using in the new formula one car and the governments want to tell the petrol companies to start making it, then we won’t need electric cars.

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  10. Many comments are missing the point of Ford’s complaint.
    Car manufacturers do not plan on the short four or five-year cycle of Governments, Ford already knows they won’t be selling ICE (except hybrids) cars in 2030. Look at any manufacturer, all are planning all EV or a mix of EVs and petrol-hybrid ranges well before 2030. The UK Government’s announcement is pointless as there will be few (if any) new petrol / diesel cars on the market in 2030. The change in policy is more to do with next year’s election than a real change in direction.

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  11. So now they want to use our tax money because Americans refuse to buy EVs in any meaningful quantity. No thanks! Sent this article to family members and they are swearing off EVs.

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  12. Ford showing its true Communist colors. Spreading this news far and wide…Ford is losing even more customers now.

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  13. So done with Ford. These electrics will be the most painful lesson ever for them, they deserve it at this point.

    Reply

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