Lord Mayor of Cork stays green with electric Ford Capri

It’s not easy being Green, but for the Lord Mayor of Cork, Green Party councillor Dan Boyle, the job will be a little easier with a brand new, fully electric car.

Mr Boyle has been presented with the 2025 lord mayoral car, a fully electric Ford Capri Premium, by John Manning, market lead at Henry Ford & Son.

For more than 80 years, the company has provided the lord mayor’s office with a car.

The son of William Ford from Ballinascarthy in West Cork, Henry Ford founded the company in 1901, and set up a factory on Cork’s Marina in 1917, doing so, he later wrote, to “start Ireland along the road to industry”.

The plant would become Cork’s largest employer, eventually closing in 1984.

Regardless of any love of Ireland, Ford definitely never said cars could come in any colour so long as they were green.

Electric vehicle

Despite that, this is the fourth year that an electric vehicle is being used to support the lord mayor’s duties, and the new Ford Capri Premium has a range of 595 kilometres, with a charging speed of 28 minutes.

Mr Boyle said that as Cork’s first citizen, he wanted to lead by example and help promote sustainable ways of travel.

“For four years now, Ford & Sons have helped the office of the lord mayor to highlight the ways in which we can be a more sustainable city, and for this, I am grateful."

Mr Manning said Henry Ford & Son was honoured to continue its long-standing partnership with the lord mayor’s office, a tradition that has spanned more than 80 years.

“The presentation of the fully electric Ford Capri Premium as the 2025 lord mayoral car reflects not only our shared history in Cork but also our shared commitment to sustainability and innovation,” he said.

“This vehicle exemplifies Ford’s vision for the future of mobility, combining cutting-edge technology with exceptional performance, and we are proud to support Cork city’s leadership in promoting greener ways to travel.”