Earlier last week we reported that Ford and VW were not seeing eye to eye on their electric vehicle strategy. Now, just a few days later, we’ve heard that Ford and VW will meet in Dearborn this week to discuss elements of this component on their future vehicle partnership.
In January Ford and VW announced a new pick-up truck and van partnership. The goal of the partnership is to cut costs from commercial vehicle production and boost pre-tax profit margins. Additionally, Ford and VW went public with a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on autonomous vehicles, connected mobility services, and electric vehicles. But that last part apparently still needs some ironing out.
Ford executives aren’t very confident about plans to build electric vehicles with Volkswagen at the moment. The two companies are taking nearly opposite approaches when it comes to their electrification programs. Analysts have pointed to differences in strategies, and other nuances such as rollout cadences and timing issues.
Ford Mach 1 concept teaser
“Our talks with Volkswagen continue,” Ford said in a statement to The Detroit News. “Discussions have been productive across a number of areas. We’ll share updates as details become more firm.” The Detroit News says that VW officials weren’t able to be reached for a comment on the status of the partnership this past Wednesday. Jim Farley, Ford president of global markets, said that the Ford and VW might not partner on electric vehicles during a taping of the TV show Autoline Detroit. Their differences may be too much to overcome.
Ford plans to introduce a hybridized Mustang in 2020, and we’ve also seen spy shots of an electric Ford F-150. Ford has extensive plans to expand their EV lineup in the coming decade. A meeting next week may be the determining factor in deciding exactly how much involvement the two companies have with each others EV plans.
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