German Chancellor Olaf Scholz urged the European Union to give a boost to electric vehicle sales and support carmakers with an EU-wide sales incentive during a visit to US carmaker Ford's plant in Cologne on Tuesday.

German chancellor Olaf Scholz called for subsidies for battery makers to protect jobs and drive the transition towards “electromobility”

Ford plans to cut almost 4,000 jobs in Europe over the next three years, about 14% of its workforce in the region, as the carmaker faces slowing demand for electric vehicles and rising competition from China.

Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz called Tuesday for a European subsidy programme for electric vehicles, as the country's flagship auto industry struggles with the transition to battery-powered cars.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz is to visit the US carmaker Ford's plant in Cologne on Tuesday after the announcement of impending large-scale job cuts at the factory. Scholz plans to address the employees,