The automaker Ford has confirmed today the rumors regarding the awarding of a new model for its Valencia plant. In the presentation of its new strategy for Europe, the company announced that “a new member of the global Bronco family is coming to Europe: this new multi-energy product is a compact and robust SUV” whose production will begin at Ford’s Valencia plant, Spain, starting in 2028.
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The company shifts its accelerated electrification strategy in Europe and will launch five passenger cars and two commercial vehicles by 2029, of which only three will be 100% electric. The others, like the one in Valencia, will be multi-energy, meaning they will be manufactured with hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electric propulsion depending on the market and demand.
The automaker thus eases the future of the facility, which, although it has always been considered a key piece in the company’s performance in Europe, had been limited for years to the production of the hybrid Ford Kuga and in continuous ERTE processes. With the cancellation of the arrival of the GE2 platform for the manufacture of medium-sized electric vehicles, the factory was left in an undefined territory, without immediate closure but without model assignments. This awarding of a multi-energy vehicle not only guarantees the medium-term future of the facility but also reinserts it in a key way into Ford’s strategy for Europe (and the world): betting on a strategy that includes several technologies, not only electric but also hybridizations.
Of the seven vehicles to be launched by 2029, only three will be 100% electric
“We do not manufacture vehicles to comply with regulatory obligations; we manufacture them for people,” said Jim Baumbick, president of Ford in Europe, at a roundtable with international journalists attended by La Vanguardia. The executive was very critical of European policies to eliminate the sale of cars that emit CO2 by 2035, that is, to reach 100% electric.
“The fastest route to zero emissions is the one customers actually end up taking. Forcing them to choose a single technology if we want the entire fleet to truly move towards an electric future is a mistake. Today we can accelerate emission reductions with hybrid technologies that allow customers to drive in electric mode whenever possible,” he said. The president recalled that, forced to electric, buyers keep older vehicles longer that produce higher emissions, and the return on investment in industry is harmed.
That is why Valencia’s expertise in manufacturing hybrid and electric cars becomes key in Ford’s market orientation. The president called the Almussafes workforce an “absolute gem” and assured that “they produce incredibly high-quality products and I have no other incentive than to try to leverage that team and that asset as much as possible to fill capacity.” Baumbick responded this way to the question of how much production volume they foresee for this Bronco family model and at what point negotiations with Geely are to share manufacturing capacity in Almussafes or even to sell part of the plant. The president did not give details about the specific negotiation but did confirm they will seek to fill the factory.
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Ford will seek to “fill the factory” in Almussafes and does not rule out alliances
And for that, they will very likely need a partner. The Almussafes plant is one of the largest automotive factories in Spain, along with Seat’s in Martorell and Stellantis’ two in Vigo and Zaragoza. It has a maximum production capacity of up to 450,000 units but at this moment, it was operating at practically one-third of its capacity. Although Baumbick did not want to talk about volumes, industry sources pointed last week to La Tribuna de la Automoción that the new model has a potential of 183,000 additional production units. Without confirming the figure, the president did say that “this new member of the Bronco family is positioned and sized for the European market. It is a product aimed at the European market to bring the Bronco in a more relevant and high-volume way,” he noted, which would imply exceeding the figure advanced by the media.
More SUV production does not imply closing alliances. On the contrary. In today’s statement, Ford assures that “strategic partnerships are fundamental to how Ford competes in Europe, as they accelerate development, enable expansion, and drive value both in the commercial vehicle segment and in passenger cars.” The company maintains alliances with Renault, Volkswagen, and is negotiating, as mentioned, with Geely to transfer production in its European factories to the Chinese company. “These are not simple agreements. They are strategic tools,” said Baumbick. “We partner with the best to act quickly and at scale, and we obsess over the product to deliver unmistakable and exciting Ford vehicles.”
In this environment of alliances, Ford, which is not European, was very critical of the “Made in Europe” rules. In their opinion, they should reflect the “reality of integrated regional supply chains” and the important role played by “regional partners such as Turkey, Morocco, and the United Kingdom in our industrial ecosystem,” partners that are essential especially for Almussafes. “Excluding or restricting these markets will undermine European competitiveness, leading to increased costs for consumers,” they stated.
But among so many alliances, how does Ford plan to maintain its personality? Bringing the Bronco to Almussafes is another relevant sign. The Bronco product family is a Ford classic in the U.S., 4x4s associated with adventure and off-road driving, which the American company will bring in a format adapted to Europe. “In a very saturated market, especially now that all Chinese manufacturers are importing, especially in open markets, many segments can quickly become generic products, all the same. This is where brand authenticity and clarity become very, very important, because you don’t want to be just another appliance on the road. You want to be something that is really special, unique, and tailored,” said the president.
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