Ford is laying off thousands of employees after abandoning Mondeo, Fiesta and Focus

The Ford company continues a major restructuring of its European operations. Following the decision to cease production of its popular models such as the Mondeo, Fiesta and Focus, the carmaker has announced it will cut 4,000 jobs across the region. The UK and Germany will be hit hardest, with around 14% of employees being laid off.

The cuts will be made in the UK and Germany.

Causes and timing of layoffs

The company said the layoffs will be completed by 2027. In a press release, Ford emphasized that its European business is facing serious challenges due to the shift to electric vehicles and increased competition. The situation is exacerbated by significant losses in recent years.

Ford’s European business is facing serious challenges due to the transition to electric vehicles and increased competition.

“Of particular concern is the state of the European passenger car market, where we are facing disruptive industry changes,” the official statement said.

Sales falling, market shrinking

According to Reuters, total new car sales in Europe fell by 6.1% in September, but the figure was much worse for Ford, with a drop of 17.9%. The withdrawal of key models such as the Fiesta and Focus could further worsen the situation.

The decline is likely to be much worse for Ford.

Experts note that despite Ford’s emphasis on crossovers and electric vehicles, the absence of familiar models could have a negative impact on customer loyalty.

According to experts, Ford’s focus on crossovers and electric vehicles could have a negative impact on customer loyalty.

A Message to Governments

Ford CFO, John Lawler, has sent a letter to the German government urging greater support for electric mobility. In his address, he noted:

Ford’s chief financial officer

“Europe and Germany lack a clear and coherent policy on electric vehicles, including investment in charging infrastructure, incentives for consumers and measures to increase the competitiveness of manufacturers.”

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Ford is also calling for more flexibility in meeting CO2 emission targets, which could ease the transition to electric vehicles.

Discontinuing older models: betting on electric cars

Ford has previously attributed its decision to discontinue the Focus model to its desire to get rid of “boring cars”. However, the move could deprive the company of much of its traditional customer base, which is already affecting sales.

Ford intends to focus on developing electric cars and crossovers, betting on their popularity in the near future. So far, however, the restructuring results show that the transition is not going smoothly.