The iconic Ford Focus is on its way to retirement. Despite delaying its goal of an all-electric future in Europe by 2030, the gas-powered compact car is still not part of the plan.
Ford says Focus retirement is still the plan
Production of the current Ford Focus with a gas-powered engine is set to end next year. Ford will not extend Focus production, even if the European Union extends its zero-emission target.
Ford announced earlier this year that it was wrapping up Focus production, the only car built at its Saarlouis plant in Germany.
“We’ve made our plans, and extending it doesn’t feature,” Kieran Cahill, vice president of manufacturing for Ford Europe, said, according to Automotive News.
When Focus production ends in November 2025, 1,000 of the factory’s 4,500 workers will remain at the plant. The remaining workers will “provide services for other Ford locations” as the plant is expected to remain open until at least the end of 2032.
Ford Focus production was halted in March with suppliers looking for a severance offer closer to that of the plant employees.
Despite this, Ford has already pushed back its goal of selling exclusively electric cars in Europe to 2035 from 2030.
“It’s not 2030 for passenger vehicles anymore because we have seen that the transformation for EVs takes longer than we anticipated,” Anna Strigel, director of sales for Ford Model E, explained.
Ford has been looking to sell the plant. Last year, reports surfaced that China’s BYD could emerge, but those plans fell through shortly after.
Meanwhile, Ford is ramping up production at other European plants. Ford’s first electric Explorer rolled off the assembly line at its new Cologne, Germany plant last week.
Ford is also revealing a new electric crossover soon, expected to be an electric Capri. The new Ford EV crossover will be based on VW’s MEB platform, the same one underpinning the electric Explorer.
CEO Jim Farley reaffirmed Ford’s shift to affordable EVs earlier this month after China’s bet on electric cars has “paid off” so far.