Ford Motor Company (NYSE:F) is to axe 800 jobs in the UK under wider plans to cut thousands of roles across Europe on flagging demand for electric vehicles (EVs).
Ford’s parts distribution site in Daventry and its Dunton research centre are among six sites which could be hit, with the carmaker employing 5,300 people in the UK.
Manufacturing facilities in Dagenham and Halewood and Ford’s logistics base in Southampton are not set to be affected.
Some 4,000 roles are set to go across Europe under the restructuring, which Ford attributed to the likes of weak demand for EVs and mounting competition.
“Making this announcement isn’t something that anybody wants to do, and I appreciate it will have a very significant impact on our employees,” Ford of Britain and Ireland managing director Lisa Brankin said.
“It’s not the news anyone wants to hear at any time,” she added, noting the company would aim to make the majority of the cuts through voluntary redundancy.
Ford slashed 1,300 UK roles less than two years ago in March 2023, with the latest restructuring coming after Volkswagen recently unveiled plans to close at least three site in Germany.
“The automotive industry is going through a period of massive disruption at the moment,” Brankin added, citing “unprecedented competition, regulation and lots of economic headwinds”.