Ford says a “rapidly deteriorating” EV market is to blame as it plans to slow the output of more electric models. Starting next week, employees at Ford’s Cologne EV plant in Germany will be put on short-term work hours.
Ford slows EV output as market conditions intensify
According to the German newspaper outlet Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger (via Automobilwoche), employees will alternate working one week with the next week off.
The reduced work hours will last until the Christmas holidays. A Ford spokesperson told the newspaper, “We can confirm that Ford will apply to the Federal Employment Agency for short-time work due to the rapidly deteriorating market conditions for electric vehicles.”
Ford invested $2 billion to prepare the facility to produce its next-gen electric models for the European market. It currently builds two EV models, the Electric Explorer and Capri.
After kicking off production of its first all-electric Explorer in June, Ford added its second model, the Capri EV, just last month. Both are based on Volkswagen’s MEB platform as part of a 2020 partnership.
“We are producing more than we can sell,” the German publication quoted Ford saying in an internal memo.
The news comes after Ford drastically downsized leadership in the region. Earlier this month, Ford lost two of its most experienced leadership team members in Germany.
Christian Weingärtner and Rene Wolf both resigned on November 1, 2024, leaving the company with just two directors. That’s down from nine earlier this year.
Electrek’s Take
Ford is not the only automaker struggling as the European market shifts to electric vehicles. Volkswagen, Nissan, Stellantis, and others have all announced plans to reduce their workforce.
Although the company said “rapidly deteriorating market conditions” are to blame, global EV sales are still growing.
According to new data from Rho Motion, October was another record-breaking month for global EV sales. Global electric vehicle sales are now up 24% (13.3 million) YOY through October 2024.
China leads EV market growth through the first ten months of 2024, with EV sales surging 38% year-over-year (YOY). In the EU, EFTA, and UK, EV sales are down 3% YOY, with reduced government incentives in Germany, the largest market.
Despite Ford, VW, and others slowing production, Chinese EV makers, like BYD, expect sales to accelerate with local production.
Ford’s EV struggles are not limited to Europe. In the US, Ford will stop building F-150 Lightning models next week at its Rouge EV plant in Michigan for nearly two months.
Ford spokesperson Jessica Enoch confirmed in an email to Electrek, “We continue to adjust production for an optimal mix of sales growth and profitability.”
The first day down will be November 18, with production resuming on January 6, 2025. The pause includes the holiday break week, starting December 23, at all US Ford plants.
Ford’s model e EV business lost another $1.2 billion in the third quarter. Through the first nine months of 2024, the company has lost $3.7 billion on EVs. The company expects its EV unit to lose around $5 billion in total in 2024.
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Leading electric vehicle analyst, author, and industry thought leaders Loren McDonald and Bill Ferro stop by Quick Charge to discuss EV Adoption’s acquisition by Paren, the “crisis” of EV charging reliability, and the real state of the EV market.
Depending on who you listen, EVs are either driving brands to record growth and are about cross that critical 10% of the overall market nationwide, or the future is bleak, the market is down, and EVs just aren’t selling. What’s really going on? Loren and Bill (probably) have some answers.
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Chevy EV owners in Texas who have Reliant as their electric utility can now charge for free at night with renewable energy.
Over 150 Chevrolet dealerships across Texas are now offering the Reliant Free Charge Nights plan to new EV buyers. With Free Charge Nights, customers can offset their charging costs by receiving credits for electricity used between 11 pm and 6 am. The plan is powered entirely by renewable energy, thanks to the purchase of renewable energy certificates (RECs).
Rasesh Patel, president of NRG Consumer, says the plan is about making power personal: “We’re excited to help Chevrolet EV drivers offset the cost of charging their vehicle all while having access to a renewable electricity plan.”
This collaboration aims to make EV adoption more appealing by making charging cheaper and greener. GM Energy’s chief revenue officer, Aseem Kapur, emphasized that partnerships like this help build the ecosystem needed to support an all-electric future: “The Reliant Free Charge Nights plan is a great example of how an automaker and an energy company can work together to make EV adoption an easy decision.”
Existing Reliant customers can also sign up for the Free Charge Nights plan. To get started, Chevrolet EV owners need to designate their vehicle on the GM Energy Smart Charging Portal before enrolling in the plan.
Reliant Energy, a subsidiary of NRG Energy, serves over 1.5 million customers in Texas, making it one of the largest electricity providers in the state.
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Texas is about to get a major power boost – a new AI-powered virtual power plant (VPP) delivering capacity equivalent to 200,000 homes during peak demand.
NRG Energy is teaming up with Renew Home to bring nearly 1 gigawatt (GW) of capacity to the Texas grid by 2035, aiming to make it more resilient while helping residents save on energy costs.
The new VPP will rely on hundreds of thousands of smart thermostats and other connected home devices, making use of AI technology provided by Google Cloud. These devices, like Vivint and Nest smart thermostats, will be offered to eligible customers at no cost. By automating HVAC adjustments, they help shift energy use to when electricity is cheaper, cleaner, and less strained.
NRG and Renew Home have big plans for the VPP. Starting in spring 2025, the companies plan to roll out the program across Texas, installing these smart thermostats in homes served by NRG’s retail electricity providers. Eventually, they plan to add home battery storage and EVs to expand the power plant’s capabilities.
Texas has faced record-breaking energy demands, with peak usage hitting 85 GW in 2023. As the state’s population grows and extreme weather becomes more frequent, VPPs like this one could play a key role in stabilizing the grid. VPPs aggregate a lot of small-scale energy resources, from smart thermostats to home batteries, and use them to help balance supply and demand during times of high stress on the grid.
This nearly 1 GW VPP will be one of the largest of its kind in Texas. NRG’s president of consumer operations, Rasesh Patel, calls it a “pivotal step” for improving customer experience while making Texas’ energy infrastructure more sustainable and resilient.
In addition to Renew Home, NRG is working with Google Cloud to maximize the power plant’s effectiveness. Google Cloud’s AI and analytics tools will help predict weather conditions, forecast renewable generation, and optimize energy usage, all of which will help make energy management smoother for both customers and the grid.
Ben Brown, CEO of Renew Home, said:
NRG’s commitment to creating a more resilient and sustainable energy future while also making electricity bills more affordable makes them an ideal partner for co-developing this unique VPP program.
This initiative raises the bar for future-proofing our electricity infrastructure and delivering cost savings to customers.
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