Ford invests £230m in Halewood plant to build EV components

Ford Motor Co. announced that it will invest £230 million in upgrading its gearbox factory on Merseyside to make parts for electric vehicles in a move that aims to safeguard 500 jobs.

From 2024, the plant in Halewood, Knowsley will produce up to 250,000 electric power units per year, Ford said.

The automaker said the UK government is supporting its investment through the Automotive Transformation Fund. The Guardian reported that Ford will receive government support worth about £30 million.

Ford announced in February this year that all its cars sold in Europe will be electric by 2030. Meanwhile, the UK government plans to stop the sale of petrol and diesel cars by 2030.

“This is an important step, marking Ford’s first in-house investment in all-electric vehicle component manufacturing in Europe. It strengthens further our ability to deliver 100 percent of Ford passenger vehicles in Europe being all-electric and two-thirds of our commercial vehicle sales being all-electric or plug-in hybrid by 2030,” said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe.

“We also want to thank the U.K. Government for its support for this important investment at Halewood which reconfirms Ford’s continuing commitment to the U.K. and our position as a leading investor in this country’s auto industry and technological base.”

The UK Government’s business secretary, The Rt. Hon. Kwasi Kwarteng MP, said: “Ford’s decision to build its first electric vehicle components in Europe at its Halewood site is further proof that the UK remains one of the best locations in the world for high-quality automotive manufacturing. In this highly competitive, global race to secure electric vehicle manufacturing, our priority is to ensure the UK reaps the benefits.