It Turns Out That EU Car Buyers Aren’t as Hot on EVs as Ford Had Hoped
American automakers have grappled with the rollercoaster ups and downs of EV demand domestically, but it appears they’re having an equally difficult time convincing Europeans. Ford recently backed off its goal to convert 100 percent of its sales to electrics on the Old Continent, noting that it would follow buyer demand and produce more hybrids or PHEVs.
That’s a significant shift from its stated 2030 deadline to go all-electric, which was more aggressive than the EU’s plan to convert all sales by 2035. Like buyers in the States, European car shoppers have cooled on EVs, complicating Ford’s efforts, though it hasn’t given up completely, saying it still plans to reach the 100 percent EV mark at some point.
Ford has invested billions in EV production facilities, where it will partner with VW to produce MEB-based vehicles, the first of which is the Explorer EV we saw a short while ago. The Puma Gen-E will also land later this year, and Ford has been selling electric Transit vans in Turkey.
The move to EVs has been interesting to watch, both as someone covering the subject professionally and as an obsessed car buyer. People will only pay for what they want, and so far, EV mandates have done little to convince buyers that they’re the only and best path forward. The top-down push to electrification is even more puzzling here, as the U.S. has a notoriously sparse charging network, and EVs remain too expensive for a large portion of buyers.
[Image: Ford Europe]
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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On a different note, I read that 30% of the world's energy is now generated by "renewable" sources.
“Insatiable demand”
Pretty sad when even the uber deranged EU doesn’t want EVs.
Let's fix that headline, shall we? "It Turns Out That Car Buyers Aren’t as Hot on EVs as Ford Had Hoped". It's not just Euroweenie car buyers that aren't all lathered up to buy an EV, it's the car buying public in general.
I don't understand all of the negativity from folks on this forum regarding Europeans. Having visited the EU multiple times across different countries, I find they are very much like us in North America-- not as different as politicians like to present them. They all aren't liberal "weenies." They are very much like you and me.
Unless you've travelled there and engaged with them, it's easy to digest and repeat what we hear. I wish more Americans would travel abroad. When they return, they will have a different view of America. We are not as perfect or special as we like to believe. And no, many Europeans don't look up to America. Quite the opposite, actually.