* The plant in Craiova in southern Romania will become Ford’s third European production facility to build an all-electric vehicle, following recent investments in its plants in Cologne, Germany, and Kocaeli, Turkey https://www.wardsauto.com/ informs. Ford is expanding and modernizing its assembly plant in Craiova, Romania, as it prepares to build a new light-commercial vehicle from 2023, followed by a battery-electric version in 2024. The plant in Craiova in southern Romania will become Ford’s third European production facility to build an all-electric vehicle, following recent investments in its plants in Cologne, Germany, and Kocaeli, Turkey. The new LCV, however, will be equipped with some of Ford’s most advanced internal-combustion engines, including diesels from the automaker’s Dagenham (U.K.) Engine Plant. Transmissions will be sourced from Halewood, U.K. Despite growing consumer demand, EV production in Romania is relatively small and the country’s charging infrastructure is severely underdeveloped compared with other European Union countries. The electric Ford FCV could help expand the market. The expansion at Craiova follows Ford’s investment of almost €2 billion ($2.26 billion) into the plant since acquiring a 72.4% stake in the facility from Daewoo Automobile Romania in 2008. That total includes €200 million ($238 million) invested in production of the Puma compact CUV – Ford’s best-selling vehicle in Romania – introduced in October 2019. Ford also invested €200 million in Craiova for production of the EcoSport CUV launched in October 2017. The EcoSport and Puma account for 53% of the passenger vehicles made by Ford in Romania, where the U.S. automaker employs about 6,000 people. The Craiova factory, which also manufactures 1.0L EcoBoost engines, has more than 600 robots used in the body, stamping, paint, trim and chassis shops. Ford announced last year it was investing $30 million in a new pressing line at Craiova in order to produce a wider range of components.
President Nicușor Dan has nominated Senate president Ilie Bolojan, a leader of the National Liberal Party (PNL) and former interim president, for the prime minister seat. Dan said Bolojan is “the best person to carry out the needed adjustments in the state administration.” He pointed to Bolojan’s track record with reducing spending, and said he has […]
Balkanik Festival – Home of World Music, set to take place at Uranus Garden between September 5 and September 7, lines up this year artists who "celebrate that form of joy that does not ignore reality, but faces it with beauty, energy, and solidarity," the organizers said. The artists performing in September in Bucharest will […]
The mayor of Timișoara, Dominic Fritz, announced on Friday, June 20, that two new bridges over the Bega River will be built in the city. The bridges will be financed with EU-backed funds worth over RON 130 million. The bridges in question are the Solventul Bridge, which will connect Gării Street to Dâmbovița Boulevard and […]
A Sarmatian necropolis nearly 2,000 years old was discovered after archaeological excavations were carried out at the Mehala II site in the municipality of Timișoara, in western Romania. Researchers discovered 15 inhumation graves, most arranged in rectangular pits with rounded corners, although some no longer retain their original outline, having been disturbed by the passage […]
The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra will deliver on June 26 a concert marking Romania Day at the Osaka World Expo. Additionally, the Bucharest-based orchestra will present a series of other concerts and recitals, both within the Romanian Pavilion and outside, at Toyonara Hall in Osaka. The George Enescu Philharmonic Orchestra's concerts will be conducted by […]
Sphera Franchise Group, the largest food service group in Romania, has opened its first Cioccolatitaliani store in the seaside resort of Riccione, in Italy’s Rimini tourist area. This marks the official launch of Sphera Group’s development plan for the premium Italian brand of coffee, gelato, and pastry. Under the plan, it will open four locations […]
