“We decided to build our first high-volume electric vehicle here in Cologne,” said Sander. “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 to stop Fiesta production.” The Cologne EV center, Ford’s first carbon-neutral factory, officially opened on 12 June.

The Fiesta is one of several long-running Ford models to have been axed as the brand gears up for full-scale electrification: the final S-Max and Galaxy MPVs rolled off the line in April 2023, and production of the Focus hatchback is set to end in 2025.

The company expects to sell 600,000 EVs annually by 2026 under its Ford Model E division, which operates separately from its ICE car and commercial vehicle divisions (Ford Blue and Ford Pro, respectively). Ford previously stated that it will sell only EVs in Europe from 2030.

The Fiesta has been Ford’s most popular car in Europe for decades and has always been one of the best-sellers all over the continent, and in the UK in particular. The Fiesta has regularly featured in the UK’s annual list of the top 10 best-selling cars since its 1976 launch and held the top spot between 2009 and 2020, the longest-ever run of consecutive years on top.

Then came the pandemic, and the demand for small hatchbacks diminished in favor of ‘small) SUVs. Many manufacturers diverted their stock of parts away from less profitable small cars towards more bountiful crossovers and SUVs.

The Puma crossover has effectively replaced the Fiesta in the Blue Oval’s line-up and has itself found success all over Europe. But that didn’t mean that the Fiesta declined in popularity because it has still featured in the top 10 best-sellers in Europe lately. In the used car market, it remains one of the top choices.

It’s certainly not certain if Ford has made the right decision here. Of course, it’s a good thing to go for  electric mobility, but throwing away almost all your assets in a few years could be a liability. Future will tell, but many people, and especialle the ‘car guys/girls’ will regret the disappearance of a few B- and C-segment cars with the best chassis and road manners in the entire car world.