Back in June 2022, FoMoCo announced that the the Valencia Assembly plant in Spain will be converted to produce electric vehicles later this decade, while the Ford Saarlouis Assembly plant in Germany would cease production in 2025, while the automaker has been actively seeking an investor for that facility – a list that reportedly included Chinese EV maker BYD, as well as Magna International and VDL Nedcar. As Ford Authority reported this past June, the Ford Saarlouis Assembly plant recently attracted “a major investor” but now, it seems as if that entity has backed out of any potential deal that might have been on the table.
“Over the past year Ford in Europe has conducted an extensive search for an investor to take over our plant in Saarlouis, Germany. In June of this year, Ford signed a non-binding agreement with a potential investor,” the automaker said in a statement. “Following a rigorous due diligence process and negotiation, which also included the Saarland Government, the investor decided not to go ahead with the project.”
“Ford will now pursue an alternative plan. As previously announced, we will maintain and create 1,000 Ford positions in Saarlouis. This can also serve as the foundation for a future technology center in Saarlouis with significant potential to develop the plant and attract other, smaller investors.”
Ford previously announced that it would stop building the Focus at the Saarlouis plant in 2025, but this past March, revealed that it plans to keep the facility open until 2032, with a reduced workforce of around 1,000 workers – versus the 4,500 that are employed at the plant today. It’s unclear what the automaker plans to use the plant for beyond 2025, though it could simply be an effort to attract new investors to the site who may want to take over its operations, as it noted here.
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.
Comments
Investors 2022: More EVs! More EVs! More EVs!
Investors 2023: Run for your lives! Run for your lives! Run for your lives!
Another rightful blow to EVs. #BudLightEVs
Ford needs to stop the globalism if they refuse to make a focus sedan here but make it for others to enjoy. SUVs are junk.
Refuse? Ford cannot assemble the Focus in the US and make a profit. Moreover, 80% of Americans over 25 don’t fit in a Focus, that’s why they don’t sell and everyone buys SUVs and pickups.
What he means is Ford has manufactured a sedan model in germany
for several years. But decided not to sell the sedan model in europe.
I think it only sells, or where sold, in asia.
IMO the best looking Focus of the fourth gen.
If manufactured in europe why not sell it for europeans? What extra would
it cost? Most cars are manufactured by orders anyway.
I don’t trust anything coming from Ford. All they do is plan to spend $3billon on new plant, get free tax money, tear up land then stop everything. Now all the beautiful trees are gone & all you see is a big dump of dirt. Not happy with Ford, Mi. Governor, or city council