The Almussafes factory, located in Valencia, Spain, has been left with only one manufacturing model, the Kuga, after ceasing production of the Transit van on April 17. The factory currently operates under a temporary employment regulation (ERTE) until the same month and has seen a significant decrease in production over the past six years.
Ford’s global management has made a commitment to assign the Almussafes factory to produce a passenger vehicle in order to maintain sufficient workload while decisions about the future of electrification are being made. This decision was conveyed by Jim Farley, Ford’s global president, during a meeting with workers’ representatives and the European Works Council in Dunton (United Kingdom).
The assignment of a new model ensures the immediate future of the factory, which employs close to 4,800 people. Over the past six years, the Valencian plant has seen a decrease in production from almost 370,000 cars of five different models in 2018 to just under 212,000 cars last year. This drop was exacerbated by the loss of production of several popular models such as Mondeo, S-Max and Galaxy. Despite this setback and uncertainty regarding investments for electric vehicles production at Almussafes factory since it was chosen in 2022 to produce an electric vehicle platform starting from 2025.
The decision by Ford comes at a time when the factory is operating under an extended temporary employment regulation file (ERTE) due to production challenges with Kuga model. The allocation of a new vehicle model guarantees its viability for years to come and provides relief for both workforce and local automotive cluster.
The Valencian automotive industry represented by AVIA welcomes this news and emphasizes that clear dates and volumes are needed for suppliers to effectively plan their work. Ford’s application for funding under Strategic Project for Recovery and Economic Transformation of Electric Vehicles(Perte VEC II) further signals their commitment towards developing electric vehicles at Almussafes factory.