Ford Otosan aims to become carbon neutral by 2050

Cem Özenen - ISTANBUL

Ford Otosan, a joint venture of Turkey’s Koç Holding and U.S. auto giant Ford, is planning to become carbon neutral by 2050, its CEO Haydar Yenigün has said.

“The brand of Ford prioritizes electrification and environment-friendly investments globally,” he told reporters in an online press conference.

“As Ford Otosan, we are advancing with an aim to become carbon neutral by 2050. We will decrease carbon emissions per vehicle by 55 percent by 2030 and switch to zero-emission in trucks by 2040,” he added.

Ford Otosan, which operates the largest commercial vehicle production compound in the European region, has recently announced an investment of 20.5 billion Turkish Liras ($2.4 billion) in its plants in the northwestern province of Kocaeli. The investment encompasses an integrated factory for electric vehicle batteries.

Ford is planning to replace all of its gasoline-powered passenger car portfolio in Europe with full electric or rechargeable hybrid ones by mid-2026. Four years later, all of its cars sold in Europe will be fully electric.
The Kocaeli battery factory, which will have a capacity of 130,000 battery assembly a year, is vital for those plans.

With the new investment, Ford Otosan will increase its annual commercial vehicle production capacity from 440,000 to 650,000. The number of workers employed at its facilities will rise from 12,000 to 15,000.