Volkswagen CEO Thomas Sedran has confirmed the next-generation VW Amarok mid-size pickup will be the first vehicle to spawn from the automaker’s joint venture with Ford.
The two companies first said they would enter a partnership to produce small trucks and commercial vehicles in January. At the time, the companies said Ford would be responsible for developing a new medium-sized pickup and larger commercial vans under the corporate alliance, while VW will work on a small city van. It’s been confirmed that the new Ranger/Amarok will be the first of these joint venture vehicles to arrive.
With Ford already having a new mid-size pickup in development in the way of the next-generation Ranger, it seems likely that the next Amarok will share a platform with the Ford pickup.
Additionally, VW said that it is in discussions with Ford to purchase a stake in its self-driving vehicle business Argo AI.
“We are in constructive talks about taking a stake in Argo, the Ford division for autonomous driving,” Sedran told Automotive News.
2019 Ford Ranger
Sedran also said a “joint company for offering mobility as a service,” is also a possibility going forward. VW has already explored such an idea with its MOIA mobility venture – a ride-hailing service with a network of multi-passenger vans that operates in Berlin, Hamburg and Helsinki, although the Ford partnership would likely see it expand such offerings to North America.
“Over time, this alliance will help both companies create value and meet the needs of our customers and society,” Ford CEO Jim Hackett said following the announcement of the joint venture in January of this year. “It will not only drive significant efficiencies and help both companies improve their fitness, but also gives us the opportunity to collaborate on shaping the next era of mobility.”
Ford and VW have also signed a memorandum of understanding to research and collaborate on other innovative technologies such as autonomous vehicles, connected mobility services, and electric vehicles.
Source: Automotive News
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