Ford to lay off workers as it focuses its efforts on electric vehicles

() As Ford moves toward producing more electric vehicles, it plans to lay off several employees, mostly engineers, in North America over the next few days. The company did not confirm the specific number of workers affected.

“This ties in with the Ford+ growth plan that we unveiled in 2021 and have been increasingly implementing over the last year,” Ford spokesman TR Reid said in an email. “Sticking to plan includes adjusting staffing to match established priorities and ambitions, while increasing quality and reducing costs.”

Ford previously said it would also hire in some areas, so it’s unclear if these layoffs will translate into an overall reduction in Ford’s workforce in the United States or Canada.

As part of the so-called Ford+ plan, in 2021 the company was divided into three large operating units: Ford Blue for internal combustion vehicles, Ford Model E for electric vehicles and Ford Pro focused on commercial vehicles. Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, also announced that the company would focus on fewer but more profitable market segments and develop more digital products for its customers. In addition to profit growth, cost reduction is also part of the plan.

Ford officials said in March that the company will lose $3 billion this year from electric vehicle sales, but still expects to hit its profit targets of between $9 and $11 billion for the year. He also hopes to start making a profit soon with electric vehicles.