Ford Motor Co. will cut as many as 1,000 jobs at its electric vehicle plant in Cologne, Germany, citing weaker-than-expected demand for battery-powered cars, Fortune reported Tuesday. The company said the reductions would be carried out primarily through voluntary departures and buyouts.
The move comes on top of a restructuring announced in November 2024 that targeted 4,000 job cuts across Europe and the UK, including 2,900 positions in Germany. Ford said it is “continually evaluating production volumes and adjusting them to demand,” noting that demand for electric cars in Europe is falling significantly short of industry forecasts.
The Cologne facility, which manufactures the electric version of the Explorer SUV, will shift from two production shifts to a single shift starting in January, according to the company’s statement, as stated by Fortune.
Electric vehicles accounted for 15.6% of the European market in the first seven months of the year, compared with 12.5% in the same period last year. Growth, however, has been slower than projected, partly due to the removal of purchase subsidies in Germany.
According to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Ford sold 260,000 vehicles of all types in the first seven months of the year, a 0.7% increase, maintaining its 3.3% market share.