Ford planning to offer combustion-engine, hybrid vehicles in Europe beyond 2030

In a shift from its initial plan to offer an all-electric lineup in Europe beyond 2030, Ford Motor Company is now considering offering gas-powered vehicles and hybrids in the region beyond the set timeline, the Detroit automaker said. Earlier in 2021, the company had outlined plans for an all electric lineup for Europe by the end of the decade.

However, due to slowing of EV adoption in the bloc, the company made a change in its plans. "As EV adoption in Europe has slowed, we believe we need to offer our customers ICE (internal combustion engine) and hybrid vehicle options beyond 2030," Ford said in a statement to Reuters. The company added that it is closely monitoring the situation and would adapt as necessary.

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Over the past year, Europe has seen a rise in popularity of hybrid vehicles, which act as a bridge between gas-powered vehicles and EVs. This has prompted automakers to scale back on their plans to go fully electric by the end of the decade. Additionally, a lack of charging infrastructure in Europe has also deterred some buyers from switching over to EVs.

Still, global automakers are strategising to shift their gasoline-powered lineups to an all-electric powerhouse eventually and gradually, as they are under pressure to cut vehicle emissions and adapt greener technologies.

In a separate development, the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has initiated an inquiry into Ford's BlueCruise hands-free driving technology, following two fatal collisions in which Mustang Mach-E SUVs hit parked vehicles. The safety agency will investigate the first 130,000 Ford Mustang Mach-E SUVs produced between 2021 and 2024 to determine whether these vehicles pose an unacceptable safety risk.

Ford assured it was cooperating with NHTSA to tackle the issue. Meanwhile, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has launched two independent investigations into the two crashes involving the Mustang Mach-E. In a fatal incident on February 24, a 2022 Mustang Mach-E using BlueCruise tech rammed into the rear of a stationary Honda CR-V on Interstate Highway 10 in San Antonio, Texas. On March 3, another Mach-E crashed in Philadelphia.

(with input from Reuters)