Ford goes on a quest for suppliers to build its electric car in Mexico

Targeting the start of production of its first electric car in Mexico by 2020, Ford has already begun evaluating the necessary suppliers for this vehicle in the North American region, said Marcos Perez, director of product development in the country.

In an interview with El Financiero during an automotive industry event in Mexico City, the executive stressed that there are Mexican engineers involved in this project. However, he clarified that the Cuautitlan Izcalli plant––where this car will be built––has not yet seen any modification “because we are still in the development process,” he added.

The official said that the current renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) has not change the automaker’s plans, since the vehicle is being conceived for the whole world.

In the same event, Juan Carlos Meade, director of automotive industry in ProMexico––a government agency dedicated to promote foreign investment––said that the country must prepare to become one of the main suppliers of auto parts for electric and hybrid vehicles.

“The internal combustion engine was the technology and the automotive engineering core of the 20th century. Today, electrification, software and advanced sensors increasingly enter that role, we no longer hear about horsepower, but about technology,” he warned.

MexicoNow

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