Ford invests $316M to upgrade UK transmission facility

Ford Motor Company is investing US$316 million (£230 million) as part of efforts to transform its Halewood, U.K. vehicle transmission facility into an electric power unit plant. This would be Ford’s first Electric Vehiclecomponent in-house assembly site in Europe.

Of the planned investment, about US$42 million (£30 million) is expected to come from the U.K. government via its Automotive Transformation Fund, this is according to a report by The Times. 

Due to this latest investment, at least 500 local automotive jobs will be protected as a result of the investment, the paper said.

Power units generated from the plant will feed all-electric passenger and commercial vehicles sold in Europe, helping the firm move closer towards its electrification goals.

In the early years of 2021, Ford issued a statement indicating that it plans to only sell electric vehicles in Europe by 2030 and to only manufacture electric commercial vehicles on the continent by 2024.