Ford has received an approval from the Indian government for its proposal under Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the auto sector
Ford exited India amongst a number of international markets in recent past and stopped producing passenger cars locally late last year. The American auto major has received an approval from the Indian government for its proposal under Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the auto sector, and is said to be considering the roll out of EVs for its export business.
The Blue Oval did not rule out the possibility of bringing those zero-emission models to the domestic market as well. The company is exploring the possibility of using one of its production facilities in India to manufacture electric vehicles for exports. It further noted that it does not have anything “additional to announce at this time.”
Ford stated that no specific discussions are going on right now but it is not out of the future consideration while confirming its plans “to serve customers in India with must-have iconic vehicles, including the Mustang coupe.” Ford also said that the business restructuring announced previously is continuing and remains on track with the Ford+ plan.
It aims to for value creation and growth by consolidating its automotive operations and taking advantage of the opportunities in electric and connected car technologies. Ford has two manufacturing units in India – one in Sanand, Gujarat and the other in Maraimalai Nagar in Tamil Nadu. Currently, only IC-engined cars can be produced out of them.
Ford announced quitting manufacturing operations in India with the option to retain the engine unit in Sanand to service its vehicles over the next half a decade. In the United States, Ford sells eco-friendly vehicles like the F-150 Lightning pickup truck and Mustang Mach-E. The latter was initially expected to launch in India last year itself.
The Mustang GT is also expected to launch in India via CBU route while the next generation Endeavour may as well be considered. The high-end cars could be retailed through a smaller network in pre-defined batches. The Mach-E GT is offered in two battery packs and has a claimed range of nearly 500 km in the EPA testing cycle.