Ford is ready to chop 1,100 jobs from its plant in Valencia, Spain, because it shuts down manufacturing of its once-popular fashions, the S-Max and Galaxy minivans. This transfer comes as a part of the corporate’s overhaul of its automobile manufacturing lineup in Europe, which is able to see it shift focus to SUVs and electrical automobiles. The announcement was confirmed by a Ford spokesperson to Automotive Information Europe.
The S-Max and Galaxy MPVs’ finish of manufacturing was introduced final yr, and is ready to occur in April. Past the 2 minivans, the Valencia plant will proceed to provide the Transit Join compact van and the Kuga compact SUV. Based on Ford’s spokesperson, the corporate has pledged to work with its union companions to reduce the impression of the layoffs on its staff, their households, and the local people.
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Final yr, Ford ceased manufacturing of the Mondeo midsize automobile at Valencia, which was additionally a part of its restructuring plan. The transfer highlights the challenges dealing with conventional automobile producers as they navigate the shift towards extra sustainable and environment friendly fashions of transportation.
This is not the primary layoff from the Blue Oval. As confirmed final month, Ford might be chopping 3,800 jobs in Europe by 2025.
Ford’s resolution for the huge layoff displays the corporate’s adaptation to the evolving automotive trade, significantly when it comes to the shift to electrical automobiles. With the simplification of EV drivetrains, there’s much less engineering work required, which led to the elimination of two,800 engineering positions. The remaining 1,000 jobs might be reduce from administrative, advertising and marketing, gross sales, and distribution capabilities, as Ford streamlines its operations.
The job cuts could have a major impression in Germany, the place 2,300 staff might be let go, adopted by 1,300 within the UK, and 200 in different elements of Europe.
Martin Sander, Basic Supervisor of Ford Mannequin e in Europe, defined the rationale of the job cuts to Automotive Information, “There may be considerably much less work to be achieved on drivetrains shifting out of combustion engines. We’re shifting right into a world with much less international platforms the place much less engineering work is critical. Because of this now we have to make the changes.”
