Ford EV Motor Production Begins At Halewood Amid Ongoing Pivot

The European market hasn’t responded to the rollout of electric vehicles quite like Ford anticipated. Faced with demand that’s weaker than it expected, The Blue Oval announced that it would be slashing 4,000 jobs in Europe by the end of 2027, mainly in the UK and Germany, and called for the government to improve EV incentives to stimulate interest in battery electric models. Despite all that, Ford EV drive unit production is well underway at the Halewood plant in Liverpool.

Ford invested £380 million into the facility – including  £30.9 million of governmental support from the Automotive Transformation Fund – for retooling. The investment allowed Ford to pivot the Halewood plant’s focus from traditional transmissions to a Ford EV component manufacturing plant, with plans to produce 420,000 electric drive units annually.

Production at Halewood will ensure that 70 percent of Ford EV models sold in Europe, like the Ford E-Transit Custom, the Ford E-Tourneo Custom, and the newly introduced Ford Puma Gen-E, will be motivated by technology manufactured in the UK.

“Ford is a global American brand with deep roots in Europe, and Halewood has been a cornerstone of that legacy for 60 years,” said Kieran Cahill, Ford’s European Industrial Operations Vice President. “It’s not just the state-of-the-art technology or the £380 million transformation that makes Halewood special – it’s the incredible team here. Their skill, dedication, and pride are what power our electrification journey. With Halewood leading the way as our first in-house EV component manufacturing site in Europe, we’re building a thriving future together, with nine electric vehicles on the road in Europe by 2025.”

The decision to go full steam ahead with Ford EV operations at Halewood stands in stark contrast to The Blue Oval’s plans for its other facilities in Europe. The automaker recently elected to cut production of the Ford Explorer EV and the Ford Capri EV at the Cologne Electric Vehicle Center in Germany due to disappointing demand for EVs. However, further cuts may be driven by voluntary retirements, at least in the UK.