After an extended waiting period, the planned partnership between Ford and Volkswagen is finally moving toward being approved. Recent reports indicate that the alliance will be finalized by the end of June, and just last week, Volkswagen’s board approved a number of projects between the two automakers. One of those projects involves a new Ford electric vehicle slated to be built on VW’s MEB platform.
This new Ford electric vehicle will be built specifically for the European market, where buyers currently covet small EVs. Sky-high gas prices, tough emissions standards, and crowded city streets all make these diminutive electric vehicles a very attractive proposition, for both automakers and buyers.
Otherwise, information on this tiny Ford electric vehicle is not all that available. Volkswagen currently produces the ID.3 on the MEB platform, but a slew of vehicles are on the way with those same underpinnings, including the Audi Q3 e-tron and VW I.D. Crozz and ID.4, just to name a few.
Volkswagen ID.3
The new Euro Ford electric vehicle will likely be some sort of hatchback or crossover, like the ID.3 or ID.4, respectively. Smart money would be on the crossover, given the current automotive climate, but anything’s possible at this point.
The Ford Mustang Mach-E is already on its way to Europe, so perhaps the VW tie-up could result in The Blue Oval building something smaller to slot beneath it. Or, maybe the automaker will add a hatchback as a smaller city-dwelling alternative. Currently, the new model is slated to arrive sometime before the 2023 model year.
Left to right: Volkswagen CEO Dr. Herbert Diess, Argo AI CEO Bryan Salesky, and Ford President and CEO Jim Hackett.
In addition to the new Ford electric vehicle, the multi-billion dollar partnership between VW and Ford is expected to spawn a mid-size pickup truck developed by Ford, a city delivery van developed by Volkswagen, and a new Ford commercial van. In addition, Volkswagen is planning to make a $3.1 billion investment in Argo AI, the self-driving software company backed by Ford.
We’ll have the latest on this pending partnership as it happens, so be sure to subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford business news and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
Comment
Should prove to be a hopefully complimentary relationship. Especially with each functioning in markets with widely divergent demographics. If done well, this should be beneficial to both and their respective markets.