Ford temporarily suspends European production in response to coronavirus

Photo courtesy of Ford.

Ford is temporarily suspending vehicle and engine production at its manufacturing sites in continental Europe in response to the growing impact of the coronavirus. Effective from March 19, it is expected that this action will continue for a number of weeks.

The action follows the World Health Organization’s designation of Europe as the new epicenter of the coronavirus epidemic, with the number of reported cases growing significantly in recent days and expected to continue to rise rapidly. Ford’s decision to halt production temporarily also will contribute to the efforts to contain the virus spread.

“While the impact of coronavirus at our facilities so far has been limited thankfully, its effect on our employees, dealers, suppliers, and customers, as well as European society as a whole, is unprecedented,” said Stuart Rowley, president, Ford of Europe. “Due to the dramatic impact this ongoing crisis is having on the European market and the supplier industry—together with the recent actions by countries to restrict all but essential travel and personal contact—we are temporarily halting production at our main continental Europe manufacturing sites.”

Component supplies to Ford manufacturing sites in Europe have been increasingly interrupted, while sales of vehicles across the industry have declined, with dealerships required to temporarily close their sales operations in some countries. However, the servicing of vehicles is regarded as an important societal need and Ford dealerships are continuing to provide essential maintenance and service across the continent.

The Ford vehicle manufacturing sites in Cologne and Saarlouis in Germany, together with the Craiova facility in Romania, will temporarily halt production from March 19. Its Valencia assembly and engine facility in Spain already temporarily halted production from March 16, after three workers were confirmed with coronavirus over the past weekend. Only essential work, such as maintenance and security, will continue on-site.