Ford’s Halewood plant has achieved a significant milestone with the start of production of its new electric drive units.
These electric power units—critical to Ford’s electrification strategy—will power the electric versions of the UK’s best-selling vehicles: the Transit Custom and the Puma.
This achievement follows a £380m investment, including £30.9m of governmental support via the Automotive Transformation Fund, to transform Halewood from a traditional transmissions facility into a state-of-the-art electric vehicle component manufacturing plant.
The Halewood facility now has the capacity to produce 420,000 electric drive units annually that will power Ford’s ambitious electrification goals. Halewood’s production capacity will ensure that 70% of Ford electric vehicles sold in Europe, including models such as the E-Transit Custom, the E-Tourneo Custom and the Puma Gen-E, will be powered by UK-manufactured technology.
Kieran Cahill, Ford’s European Industrial Operations Vice-President, highlighted the people behind Halewood’s success: “Ford is a global American brand with deep roots in Europe, and Halewood has been a cornerstone of that legacy for 60 years. It’s not just the state-of-the-art technology or the £380m transformation that makes Halewood special—it’s the incredible team here. Their skill, dedication, and pride are what power our electrification journey. With Halewood leading the way as our first in-house EV component manufacturing site in Europe, we’re building a thriving future together, with nine electric vehicles on the road in Europe by 2025.”
Puma Gen-E unveiled
The new all-electric Puma Gen-E was also unveiled at Halewood last week by Lisa Brankin, Managing Director and the team from the plant. The electric version of the UK’s best-selling car will be powered by the electric drive unit built at Halewood and assembled at Ford’s plant in Craiova, Romania.
This transformation positions Halewood as Ford’s first in-house electric vehicle component manufacturing plant in Europe, with units set to be distributed across Europe and assembled at Ford Otosan plants in Romania and Turkey. In turn, Halewood and Dagenham will continue to support Ford UK’s annual export value as it manages the electric transition across its car and van line-up.
“The start of electric drive unit production at Halewood is a proud moment for us,” said Lee Meyers, Halewood Plant Manager. “We’re not only embracing an exciting technological transformation but also contributing to the UK’s electric future while investing in our team and community. This plant, our people, and the region have a bright future as part of Ford’s electrification journey.”
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