Ford’s global management has decided to assign the Almussafes (Valencia) factory to produce a new passenger vehicle in order to maintain sufficient workload while decisions about the future of electrification are being made, as stated by the majority union at the plant, UGT. This decision was conveyed by Ford’s global president, Jim Farley, during a meeting with the workers’ representatives and the European Works Council in Dunton (United Kingdom), which was described as positive and constructive.
The Almussafes factory currently employs close to 4,800 people and has been operating under an extended temporary employment regulation file (ERTE) due to production challenges with the Kuga model. The assignment of a new vehicle model ensures its viability for the coming years and provides relief for both the workforce and the local automotive cluster.
Over the past six years, the Valencian plant has seen a significant decrease in production, going from almost 370,000 cars of five different models in 2018 to just under 212,000 cars last year. This drop of 42% was exacerbated by the loss of production of the Mondeo, S-Max, and Galaxy models. The factory has been facing uncertainty regarding investments for the production of electric vehicles despite being chosen in 2022 to produce a new electric vehicle platform starting in 2025.
The global management’s commitment to Almussafes comes at a time when it is operating under an ERTE due to production challenges with the Kuga model. The decision to assign a new vehicle model guarantees its viability for the coming years and provides relief for both