Ford announced in February that it would phase out gasoline and diesel engines from its European lineup by 2030. Last May, the automaker stated that it was willing to accelerate the transition.
A spinoff could be difficult to sell to the Fords. They control the automaker through a special class of stock and are wary of losing control of the 118-year-old company, according to the people, who did not want to be identified because it would reveal internal deliberations. The founding family, led by Executive Chair Bill Ford, holds three board seats.
