Ford of Europe, together with 25 companies, has joined an appeal to the European Union (EU) to ensure all new cars and vans in Europe are zero-emission from 2035 and to establish mandatory targets for EV charging infrastructure.
The appeal insists that removing fossil-fuel vehicles from the road is imperative for Europe to reach its goal of net zero emissions by 2050, and to help avoid the worst impacts of climate change.
This includes enacting legislation that establishes standards and a clear timeline for the industry and suppliers to follow, to ensure the transition to EVs.
“At Ford in Europe, we believe that freedom of movement goes hand-in-hand with caring for our planet and each other,” said Stuart Rowley, chair, Ford of Europe. “That’s why we are targeting all Ford vehicles to be zero emission by 2035.
“To successfully achieve this, EU policymakers must also establish mandatory national targets for a seamless electric charging infrastructure that lives up to the growing demand for electric vehicles.”
EU decision-makers are currently deciding on new clean car rules, following a proposal by the EU Commission – supported by the businesses making the appeal – that only zero-emission new cars and vans can be sold EU-wide from 2035.
The European Parliament and EU governments will decide their positions in June, with the final law expected to be adopted in autumn.
In the past 12 months, Ford of Europe has introduced a range of sustainability initiatives, outlined in its European Sustainability Digest 2022 – a companion to Ford’s global Integrated Sustainability and Financial Report – detailing steps Ford is taking toward targeting carbon neutrality across its European footprint of facilities, logistics and suppliers by 2035.
This included the release of its first Human Rights Report, which examines how materials are sourced, where Ford products are made and how the company’s labour standards measure up.
All electricity sourced at the company’s manufacturing sites in Europe is already totally renewable and the planned production of EVs in Cologne, Germany, is now expected to be 1.2 million vehicles over six years, with a total product investment of US$2bn (£1.61bn).
Ford’s BlueOval Charging Network has over 300,000 chargepoints in Europe, while, for Ford employees, 1,000 charging stations will be added on the company’s European sites by 2023. The company is also part of RouteZero, a global coalition working towards fully electric cars and vans globally by 2040.
To improve supply chain sustainability, Ford of Europe recently signed on to two initiatives that seek to establish industry standards for data-sharing between partners and the assessment of sustainability of production sites.
