Ford has announced that it has produced more than a million vehicles at its Romanian plant in Craiova. On the occasion, the manufacturer unveiled the Ford Puma Rally1 Hybrid, which will take over from the Fiesta in the WRC in 2022.
First presented as a concept at the Goodwood Festival in 2021, the Puma Rally1 Hybrid marks Ford’s entry into the world of electrified motorsport. To make the presentations, the American manufacturer chose its factory in Craiova, Romania. The site has just celebrated its millionth vehicle produced, a Puma ST in this case.
Ford’s future in the WRC
After having won three world titles with the Fiesta WRC since 2017, Ford is entering the 2022 season of the World Rally Championship with a new mount due to the new regulations. The major change concerns the engine, which is now hybrid. Reworked, the 1.6 Ecoboost of the Fiesta is associated with a 100 kW electric motor to boost its acceleration for 3 seconds. The 3.9 kWh battery recharges during the race, when decelerating and braking, but it can also be powered by the mains in 25 minutes, just to set off for the next special with a full battery.
A new utility in 2024
Since 2009, the Craiova plant has manufactured the Transit Connect, the B-Max minivan and the EcoSport. She is now tackling the assembly of the Puma. The manufacturer has also invested 266 million euros for the production from 2023 of a new utility which will also be available in an electric version. The vehicle will be marketed in 2024.
