Don’t stop the party: Ford mulls reviving the Fiesta as an EV on Volkswagen’s MEB platform
Less than a week after rolling its last combustion dependent Fiesta off its assembly lines in Europe to make room for its EV future, Ford is already flirting with the idea of keeping the party going – just without those pesky emissions clouding up the dance floor. Ford’s boss in Europe shared the company has eyes on Volkswagen’s ultra-compact ID.2all EV and the modular MEB platform it sits atop.
The Fiesta had existed as a major nameplate for the blue oval brand for nearly fifty years before the Ford inevitably decided to cut the music and put the house lights up on its assembly lines in Cologne, Germany in order to make way for EV production.
Ford first shared plans for the $2 billion revamp of the European production facility back in 2021, detailing that Fiesta manufacturing would cease and be succeeded by an EV version of the Explorer. The Cologne facility will also be Ford’s first-ever carbon neutral plant and will assemble EVs based on Volkswagen Group’s MEB platform under a deal signed in 2020.
German Chancellor Olaf Sholz described the Cologne plant as a “fresh start” for Ford in Europe, as it is expected crank out 250,000 EVs per year by 2026. This will include models like the Puma, and Mustang Mach-E in addition to the Explorer and another medium-sized crossover to be named.
Although Ford nixed all its small car models in Europe due to stricter emissions standards and weakening profits, but ultra-compact EVs present a new avenue for profits – keeping the hope of a Ford Fiesta rebirth alive.
Ford considers Fiesta EV as its lineup gets larger in Europe
Based on Ford’s ongoing relationship with Volkswagen overseas and the latter’s growing lineup of small and ultra-affordable EVs, Ford Europe’s boss of passenger cars Martin Sander said the company is not ruling out the possibility of a battery-electric Fiesta.
In an interview with Automotive News Europe, Sander was asked point blank if Ford was intending to develop its own version of an EV based on VW’s small MEB platform. He said Ford has “a very constructive and positive cooperation with Volkswagen and we are possibly exploring opportunities to take that to the next level. Nothing has been decided, but I don’t want to rule that out.”
Volkswagen introduced the ID.2all concept in March, which is similar in size to a Golf, and expected to cost around $27,000. Consumers should also see an all-electric Golf and Tiguan, in addition to an ultra-affordable compact called the ID.1 starting around $20,000. Its MEB platform recently surpassed 1 million EVs built.
While Ford Europe is keeping its tab open on a Fiesta EV, its main priority is still the development of its own platform to support a separate manufacturing facility in Spain. As previously mentioned, much of Ford’s upcoming EVs in Europe will be much larger and “unapologetically American.”
Europe has a bigger appetite for smaller EVs than Ford’s home in the US, but those vehicles don’t offer the margins the automaker is hoping to achieve overseas in its electrified rebirth. Per Sander:
Smaller vehicles are smaller margin. We do not have the scale of the Volkswagen Group or Stellantis in Europe. Small vehicles like Fiesta are not the heartland of Ford Motor Company.
While Ford is not entirely ruling out a Fiesta EV, it does not feel like a top priority at the moment. A similar rumor recently circulated about an all-electric version of the Beetle, but Volkswagen quickly squashed it, stating some models are better left in the past. Ford may have yelled last call on the combustion model Fiesta, but we may one day see a price-friendly EV version… just probably not anytime soon.
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Environment
U.S. crude oil falls below $60 a barrel to lowest since 2021 on tariff-fueled recession fears
A view shows disused oil pump jacks at the Airankol oil field operated by Caspiy Neft in the Atyrau Region, Kazakhstan April 2, 2025.
Pavel Mikheyev | Reuters
U.S. oil prices dropped below $60 a barrel on Sunday on fears President Donald Trump’s global tariffs would push the U.S., and maybe the world, into a recession.
Futures tied to U.S. West Texas intermediate crude fell more than 3% to $59.74 on Sunday night. The move comes after back-to-back 6% declines last week. WTI is now at the lowest since April 2021.
Worries are mounting that tariffs could lead to higher prices for businesses, which could lead to a slowdown in economic activity that would ultimately hurt demand for oil.
Oil futures, 5 years
The tariffs, which are set to take effect this week, “would likely push the U.S. and possibly global economy into recession this year,” according to JPMorgan. The firm on Thursday raised its odds of a recession this year to 60% following the tariff rollout, up from 40%.
Fueled by incentives from the Illinois EPA and the state’s largest utility company, new EV registrations nearly quadrupled the 12% first-quarter increase in EV registrations nationally – and there are no signs the state is slowing down.
Despite the dramatic slowdown of Tesla’s US deliveries, sales of electric vehicles overall have perked up in recent months, with Illinois’ EV adoption rate well above the Q1 uptick nationally. Crain’s Chicago Business reports that the number of new EVs registered across the state totaled 9,821 January through March, compared with “just” 6,535 EVs registered in the state during the same period in 2024.
Those numbers represent more than 50% growth in EV registrations – far beyond the expected 12% first-quarter increase nationally being projected by Cox Automotive. (!)
What’s going on in Illinois?
While President Trump and Elmo were running for re-election, they campaigned on the threat promise of canceling the $7,500 federal tax credit for EVs. Along with California Governor Gavin Newsom, Illinois’ Governor JB Pritzker made countermoves – launching a $4,000 rebate for new electric cars and up to $1,500 for the purchase of a new electric motorcycle.
At the same time, the state’s largest utility, ComEd, launched a $90 million EV incentive program featuring a new Point of Purchase initiative to deliver instant discounts to qualifying business and public sector customers who make the switch to electric vehicles. That program has driven a surge in Class 3-6 medium duty commercial EVs, which are eligible fro $20-30,000 in utility rebates on top of federal tax credits and other incentives (Class 1-2 EVs are eligible for up to $7,500).
We covered the launch of those incentives when the program was announced at Chicago Drives Electric last year, but the message here is simple: incentives work.
SOURCES: Chicago Business, Ray Cunningham; featured image by the author.
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The electric construction equipment experts at XCMG just released a new, 25 ton electric crawler excavator ahead of bauma 2025 – and they have their eye on the global urban construction, mine operations, and logistical material handling markets.
Powered by a high-capacity 400 kWh lithium iron phosphate battery capable of delivering up to 8 hours of continuous operation, the XE215EV electric excavator promises uninterrupted operation at a lower cost of ownership and with even less downtime than its diesel counterparts.
XCMG is delivering on part of that reduced downtime promise with the lower maintenance and easier repair needs of electric equipment, and delivering on the rest of it with lickety-quick DC fast charging that can recharge the machine’s massive battery in 1.5-2 hours … but that’s not the slick bit. The XCMG XE125EV can be powered up without leaving the job site thanks to its BYD battery swap technology.
We first covered XCMG and its battery swap technology back in January, and covered similar battery-swap tech being developed by MOOG Construction offshoot ZQUIP, as well – but while XCMG’s battery tech has been in production for several years, it’s still not widely known about in the West (even within the industry).
XCMG showed off its latest electric equipment at the December 2024 bauma China, including an updated version of its of its 85-ton autonomous electric mining truck that features a fully cab-less design – meaning there isn’t even a place for an operator to sit, let alone operate. And that’s too bad, because what operator wouldn’t want to experience an electric truck putting down 1070 hp more than 16,000 lb-ft of torque!?
Easy in, easy out
The best part? All of the company’s heavy equipment assets – from excavators to terminal tractors to dump trucks and wheel loaders – all use the same 400 kWh BYD battery packs, Milwaukee tool style. That means an equipment fleet can utilize x number of vehicles with a fraction of the total battery capacity and material needs of other asset brands. That’s not just a smart use of limited materials, it’s a smarter use of energy.
You can check out all the XE215EV’s specs at this tear sheet, and get an in-person look at the Chinese company’s latest electric excavator this week in Munich, Germany.
SOURCE | IMAGES: XCMG.
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