Ford is leaning more heavily on its American heritage, as it shifts towards an electrified future with a very different-looking European line-up.
While Ford in the US is seen as the brand with models like the macho F-150 truck and the iconic Mustang, Ford’s European offerings have revolved more around smaller cars like the Fiesta hatchback, the larger Focus, and before that, models like the Escort.
In fact, the Ford Fiesta remains one of the top-selling cars in the UK, even though the Fiesta is set to be discontinued next year.
Ford’s marketing chief in Germany, Christian Weingaertner, told an Automotive News Europe publication the brand is “seizing the opportunity to completely reposition [itself]”.
“Our future models are more American, and from 2030 they will all be electric,” said Mr Weingaertner.
One model that’s not particularly American, however, is one of seven electric cars that will be launched by Ford in Europe over the next few years – an electric version of the Ford Puma.
The Puma, while not hugely popular in Australia (or the US, where it isn’t even offered), is one of Ford’s most successful models across a lot of European countries, and its electric version is set to be marketed under the “Urban Escape” tagline.
On the flipside, the Ford Ranger will be marketed in Europe under the “Ultimate Outdoor” tagline in Europe, despite its sales likely to be a much smaller percentage of Ford’s line-up than in North America or Australia (where it’s by far Ford’s most popular model).
While Ford in Europe has flagged a significant cultural shift coming in the near future, and the brand has made vast structural changes at home in the US, Ford Australia remains (from the outside at least) comfortably dependent on the Ranger, and to a lesser extent, its platform-sharing Everest SUV twin.
In 2022 (to the end of November), Ford Australia sold 60,463 vehicles, of which 42,816 (70.8 per cent) were Rangers and 9388 (15.5 per cent) were Everests.
In turn, almost none of Ford’s sales have been electrified – it offers the electric e-Transit and the plug-in hybrid Escape PHEV in Australia.
Ford currently holds a 6.1 per cent share of sales in the Australian market, putting it in sixth place behind Toyota, Mazda, Kia, Mitsubishi, and Hyundai in that order.
CarsGuide has contacted Ford Australia for further comment surrounding future plans, electrification, and branding.
Keyword: 'Murica! Ford to cash in on American roots in shift to electric cars