Ford Opts Out Of Manufacturing Electric Vehicles In India

The carmaker had plans of using one of its plants as an export hub for its EVs but that has now been shelved

• Ford stopped India production in September 2021.

• The carmaker was shortlisted under the government’s PLI scheme in February 2022.

• Its global EV lineup includes models such as the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup.

• It has plans to bring some global models to India that will include the Mustang sports coupe and Mach-E electric SUV.

It was in February 2022 that we first got to know about the possibility of Ford resurrecting its operations at its Indian plants. However, we can now confirm that Ford sadly won’t be doing it.

Here’s the official statement from the carmaker:

“After careful review, we have decided to no longer pursue EV manufacturing for exports from any of the Indian plants. We remain grateful to the Government for approving our proposal under the Production-Linked Incentives and for being supportive while we continued our exploration”.

Ford had plans to re-run manufacturing in India via electric vehicles (EVs) at one of its plants in India for exports after being shortlisted under the government’s PLI category of Champion OEM Incentive. Now that the plan has been shelved, the carmaker says it is “exploring other alternatives for its manufacturing facilities”.

The carmaker’s global EV lineup (both passenger and commercial models included) consists of models such as the Mustang Mach-E and F-150 Lightning pickup truck. Ford is sure to be working on more EVs as it estimates that fully electric vehicles will account for 40 percent of its global vehicle volume, passenger and commercial vehicles combined, by 2030.

As far as Ford in India is concerned, the carmaker stopped local production of its cars in September 2021. It has, however, announced that it will be bringing some of its global vehicles to our market via the completely built-up unit (CBU) route. These will include the Mustang sports coupe, Mustang Mach-E, and possibly the Ranger pickup too.

Also Read: Explained: The Ford Situation -- Why The Indian Car Market Is Such A Tough Nut To Crack