Ford has announced it will cut 800 jobs in the UK over the next three years. The move is part of a major restructuring programme, which will see 4,000 posts closed across Europe as a whole. The company said it had to act because of difficult trading conditions, including intense competition and weak demand for electric vehicles.

Carmakers have insisted that electric vehicles (EVs) are less prone to fires than petrol ones in an attempt to tackle “myths” about the vehicles that experts fear are harming sales.

The latest announcement comes at a time when car manufacturers across Europe are grappling with challenges. They face issues such as high energy costs, weaker than expected demand for electric cars and growing competition from Chinese manufacturers.

Most of the job cuts will take place in Germany with some 2,900 layoffs expected. The US carmaker has been battling with weak sales in the European market.