Ford revealed today that the Ford Dagenham Engine Factory, based east of London, will produce the newest advanced technology diesel engines for the Ford Transit Custom range’s next generation.
Ford Otosan, Ford’s Turkish joint venture, will begin production of the next-generation Ford Transit Custom range in Kocaeli, Turkey, in early 2023. As part of the Ford-Volkswagen Alliance, the next-generation Volkswagen commercial vehicles will also be installed in Kocaeli.
This is excellent news for the entire Ford Dagenham Engine Plant team, according to Martin Everitt, plant manager, Ford Dagenham, and strengthens the close alliance between diesel engine development at Dagenham and Transit vehicle production at Ford Otosan in Turkey.
The announcement made today, along with the expected additional engine volumes, helps to protect employment at Dagenham Engine Plant. By 2025, it is anticipated that up to 60% of the plant’s entire diesel engine volume will be destined solely for Ford Otosan’s commercial vehicles.
Ford’s Dagenham engine manufacturing facility now exports much of its diesel engine production to Ford Otosan, where the engines are fitted into Ford Transit vehicles, with almost 30% of those vehicles being shipped from Turkey to the UK.
Since Ford and Ford Otosan account for more than 10% of overall trade volume between the UK and Turkey, the trade agreement signed between the two countries at the end of 2020 was particularly important for Ford and Ford Otosan, and it helped to protect employment in both countries.
The declaration is wonderful news for Ford and its 7,500 employees across the United Kingdom, according to Ranil Jayawardena, International Trade Minister, Department of International Trade. The trade agreement with Turkey has helped to preserve employment by securing supply chains for big companies like Ford and providing firms with the courage to continue investing in the United Kingdom. As the nation recovers from Covid-19, trade has the potential to generate employment, raise incomes, and deliver economic prosperity to all corners of the country.
Although Ford expects two-thirds of its commercial vehicle sales in Europe to be plug-in hybrid or all-electric by 2030, diesel will continue to play an influential role in commercial vehicle applications in the years ahead, particularly as total sales of the Ford Transit and Transit Custom ranges expand.
