Ford Europe together with 27 companies has joined an appeal to the European Union (EU) to ensure all new cars and vans in Europe are zero-emission from 2035 and to establish mandatory targets for charging infrastructure. The appeal insists that removing fossil fuel-burning vehicles from the road is imperative for Europe to reach its goal of net-zero emissions by 2050, and to help avoid the worst impacts of climate change on people and the planet. This includes enacting legislation that establishes standards and a clear timeline for the industry and suppliers to follow, to ensure the transition to electric vehicles.
The EU decision-makers are currently deciding on new clean car rules, following a proposal by the EU Commission supported by the companies making the appeal that only zero-emission new cars and vans can be sold EU-wide from 2035. The European Parliament and EU governments will decide their positions in June, with the final law expected to be adopted in autumn.
For Ford Europe, the road towards zero-emission vehicles is being paved by a new generation of seven, all-electric, fully connected passenger vehicles, and vans, coming to Europe by 2024. Leading the charge are the Mustang Mach-E, which last year achieved maximum safety and green ratings from Euro NCAP and Green NCAP, and the E-Transit, which received the Gold Award from Euro NCAP for its advanced driver assistance systems.
All the electricity sourced at the company’s manufacturing sites in Europe is already 100 per cent renewable. The planned production of electric vehicles in Cologne, Germany, is now expected to be 1.2 million vehicles over six years, with a total product investment of $2 billion, helping to bring more electric vehicles to customers in Europe. Ford’s BlueOval charging network has over 3 lakh charge points in Europe, while for Ford employees, 1,000 charging stations will be added to the company’s European sites by 2023.