Ford Otosan’s plant in Craiova assembled the one millionth Ford Puma SUV on May 20, marking six and a half years since the start of series production of the model in Romania. The anniversary vehicle was a fully electric Puma Gen-E version, reflecting the factory’s transition towards zero-emission vehicle production.

The Puma Gen-E was officially unveiled in December 2024, with first customer deliveries starting in March 2025.

The Puma entered production at the Craiova plant in October 2019 and has since become Ford’s best-selling passenger vehicle in Europe, particularly strong on the UK market.

Ford Otosan Romania president Fırat Elhüseyni described the milestone as a significant achievement for the factory and its workforce.

“It is a real pride to produce the iconic Ford Puma model in our Craiova plant, this being the best-selling Ford car in Europe and also a model with excellent results in recent years, especially on the UK market,” Elhüseyni said, as reported by Ziarul Financiar. “This historic milestone would not have been possible without the dedication and passion of the people who have worked in this plant over time."

The milestone comes less than five years after the Craiova facility reached one million Ford-branded vehicles produced overall, in December 2021.

The Craiova plant has become one of Ford Otosan’s key manufacturing hubs in Europe following the transfer of ownership from Ford Motor Company to the Turkish joint venture in 2022. The factory currently produces both passenger and commercial vehicles, including electric models.

Ford Otosan has invested heavily in the Romanian facility in recent years as part of its electrification strategy, adapting production lines for battery electric vehicles and expanding local supply chain integration.

The Puma Gen-E is among the models supporting Ford’s broader transition towards electric mobility in Europe, where increasingly strict emissions regulations are accelerating investments in EV manufacturing capacity.

iulian@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: LinkedIn/Ford Otosan Romania)