Ford Motor could make EVs in Tamil Nadu plant: Report

Ford Motor Co could possibly manufacture electric vehicles in its South India plant in Tamil Nadu. The automaker is re-entering the world’s third-largest car market three years after announcing its exit. 

According to Tamil Nadu Industries Minister TRB Rajaa, who spoke to Bloomberg TV, Ford is yet to decide on what it would manufacture in India but, he hinted, that it could be electric vehicles. The minister said that the trend suggests that Ford could bring in EV manufacturing as investors who had come to the state in the past few years brought in their EV lines. 

“They do know the ecosystem is ripe and the discussions are also on those lines,” he said in the interview. 

Ford had pulled the plug on its India operations in 2021 and halted all exports from the country in 2022. 

In September, the automaker announced its plans to restart the Chennai plant, which it said would be repurposed to focus on manufacturing for export to global markets. This is part of the company’s ambitious Ford+ growth plan. 

Ford is yet to announce the cars that it plans to make at the facility. Before its exit, the company built cars and engines at the Chennai plant. 

Not only Ford, Tata Motors and Vietnamese company VinFast Auto are pouring billions to set up manufacturing plants in Tamil Nadu.