Ford sunsets its last remaining true compact car in favour of electric SUV production

In a tragic turn of events for compact car fanatics, Ford will shut down production of the Fiesta hatchback this July in order to repurpose production space at its facility in Cologne, Germany for the all-electric Explorer SUV, according to Autocar. This leaves the EcoSport — a compact SUV — as the smallest vehicle in Ford's portfolio.

There comes the point where we need the space for construction, because we are turning the Fiesta plant into a fully battery-electric plant. This is why we had to make a decision that we have to stop Fiesta production. — Martin Sander, General Manager, Model E division of Europe

Obviously, the good news is that Ford buyers will soon have another electric option to choose from, but that unfortunately comes at the cost of a vehicle with a smaller footprint. This news also comes as brands like Mini, Fiat, and Hyundai are putting effort into making less unwieldy cars.

Aside from the implications of the increased footprint of larger vehicles, electric vehicles have recently come under scrutiny for their added weight potentially causing damage to road surfaces. Some US states have even instituted annual EV taxes to compensate for the lack of fuel levy that theoretically pays for road repairs and maintenance.

It seems as though Ford fully intends to lean on the popularity of SUVs and pickup trucks as it pivots to an electric vehicle future. Following up on a previous announcement, Ford will officially manufacture the last Fiesta compact this July in order to convert its production facility into an electric-vehicle plant designated for production of the Explorer SUV. The last remaining non-pickup, non-SUV passenger vehicle in Ford's lineup is the Mustang.

In all fairness, Ford is also reportedly planning an electric Puma in the near future, which would help serve parts of the market that don't want to buy an oversized vehicle.

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