Following Mercedes-Benz and Volkswagen, US carmaker Ford has backed away from its electric car targets. Ford had announced in 2021 that it would change its line-up to sell only electric cars in Europe by 2030.
Electric car sales in the West are declining due to factors including reduced demand for electric cars, reduced government funding for electric cars and stiff competition from Chinese electric car makers. As a result, car manufacturers are backing away from their targets for electric car models.
Currently, Ford is considering selling gas-powered and hybrid cars in Europe beyond 2030. The company has said that it is actively monitoring the market conditions and will take decisions according to the situation.
This means that, as other companies say, if the demand for electric cars increases and sales increase in the future, the company will fully implement their plan, otherwise the sales of gasoline and hybrid cars will continue.
In the past few years, sales of hybrid cars in Western countries have reportedly increased more than electric cars. Hybrid cars are a bridge between fuel cars and electric cars. Also, hybrid cars are helpful to know what the usage will be like, rather than switching to electric cars once you get them.
Also, the lack of infrastructure required for electric vehicles in Europe is also said to be the reason for the decline in electric car sales. It is expected that not only Ford but also many other electric car manufacturers will be pushed to the same decision in the future.