Ford says it might not go EV-only in Europe by 2030 after all

In 2021, Ford announced plans to sell exclusively electric cars in Europe by 2030. Two years later, faced with falling EV sales, the brand admitted that its European division may not be electric-only by the end of the decade as planned. It ultimately depends on market demand.

Martin Sander, the head of Ford's passenger-car business in Europe, made the announcement at the Financial Times Future of the Car conference. "If we see strong demand, for instance for plug-in hybrid vehicles, we will offer them," he said, according to industry trade journal Automotive News Europe (subscription required). He conceded that demand for electric cars has been "softer" than originally expected.

Ford still plans to go all-electric in Europe — it needs to, as a law scheduled to come into effect in 2035 will ban the sale of most new ICE-powered vehicles — but it will instead "manage our way toward 100% electric drivetrains," according to Sander. As of writing, its European range of electric vehicles includes the Explorer, which is unrelated to the American-market SUV and based on a Volkswagen platform, the Mustang Mach-E, and a version of the Transit van. Additional electric cars, including a second Volkswagen-based model, are on their way.