Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.
Ford has announced that over the next three years it will cut 800 jobs in the UK due to weak demand for electric cars. This is part of a larger restructuring plan that will see 4,000 job cuts made throughout Europe because of difficult trading conditions, including intense competition. The plan will remove 15% of the company’s workforce, and the majority of the jobs are expected to be administrative or product development roles. However, Ford has pledged to safeguard both its manufacturing sites in Dagenham and Halewood, as well as its logistics base in Southampton from the cuts.
Ford currently has 5,300 employees in the UK. The restructuring plan comes at a time when car manufacturers are struggling across Europe. High energy costs, weaker than expected demand for electric cars, and competition from Chinese manufacturers are among the issues faced by the continent’s biggest names, such as Volkswagen, BMW, and Mercedes Benz. Volkswagen is even contemplating the closure of factories in Germany, an unprecedented step.
Pressures and competition are hitting Ford during a time in which it is attempting to move away from its past as a mass-manufacturer of cheap “runabouts.” It is trying to position itself as a more upmarket brand focused on electric cars after ceasing the production of the Fiesta, its popular model, that had been in production for fifty years.
In addition to the cuts in the UK, Ford will shed 2,900 jobs in Germany and another 300 across the rest of Europe. The government is under intense pressure from the car industry over rules designed to force car manufacturers to build more electric vehicles. The issue is due to be discussed at a meeting between industry and ministers on Wednesday afternoon. If manufacturers fail to hit their zero-emission vehicle targets, they could face fines of up to £15,000 per car
Read the full article from The BBC here: Read More
Auto Amazon Links: No products found. Blocked by captcha.