12:00 pm, March 25, 2021
Ford is ramping up its electrification plans by announcing the production of a new hybrid engine in Europe – but it comes at the cost of one of its most famous models.
The blue oval will switch the production of its 2.5-litre Duratec hybrid engine from Mexico to its Valencia plant in Spain next year, which will now be built alongside Ford’s 2.0-litre and 2.3-litre EcoBoost petrol engines.
The 2.5 EcoBoost hybrid engine already powers the Kuga petrol and PHEV SUVs and the S-Max and Galaxy MPVs.
Along with the building the engine, the Valencia plant will receive a €5.2m boost in its battery pack assembly to help Ford achieve its recently-announced mid-2026 deadline for selling only electric and plug-in hybrid cars in Europe.
The Mondeo has been a staple of the Ford range since 1993
The news comes at the cost of the much-loved Mondeo, however, as the Valencia factory will cease production of the famous family Ford.
Despite the current Mondeo having hybrid engines, a focus on future electrified models and changing customer tastes are reasons for the axing.
Ford says 39 per cent of its sales in Europe last year were of its SUV and crossover models, while sales of traditional family cars like the Mondeo dwindled.
A Ford of Britain spokesperson said: ‘Mondeo’s contracting segment does not support an all-electric version and the current model will not be replaced.’
They added: ‘The part of the large car market that Mondeo competes in has declined by 80 per cent in 20 years. S-Max and Galaxy will continue, with new hybrid engines being added this year.’
The news will be sad for Ford fans in Britain, as the model, first launched in 1993, was a top-selling and much-loved model in the 1990s and 2000s.
