Ford and Volkswagen signed off on a landmark partnership agreement back in June 2020 – though discussions began years prior – that has since resulted in multiple collaborative efforts, including a pair of Ford EVs built on VW’s MEB platform, as well as the new Ford Tourneo Connect, which is little more than a rebadged version of the Volkswagen Caddy. There are other potential mashups in the works as well, including a next-gen Transit Connect based on a VW model and the latter’s possible use of the Ford Ranger platform for a future 4×4 EV – though not a Ranger Raptor version of the Amarok, which already rides on those same underpinnings.
However, as it aims to significantly ramp up EV production in the coming years, future Blue Oval EVs may ditch the MEB platform in favor of FoMoCo’s own American-based underpinnings, potentially putting this relationship on the rocks. On the flip side, VW Group CEO Oliver Blume doesn’t believe that’s the case at all, according to Automotive News Europe.
“We only at the beginning of our cooperation project,” the VW Group boss said while discussing the German automaker’s 2022 financial results. Blume also noted that Volkswagen is “intensifying” its relationship with Ford, mere weeks after FoMoCo seemed to indicate that it will scale back its reliance on the MEB platform for future EVs.
Regardless, the two automakers still have plenty of shared products in the works, including the aforementioned European EV crossovers, as well as next-gen versions of the Transit Connect and Transit Custom. When the two companies first announced their partnership in 2020, both noted that they intended to ultimately produce eight million commercial vehicles together, too.
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Comments
The sudden abandonment of cooperation shows how unreliable a partner Ford is.
Thanks to the cooperation with VW, they could obtain quality, reliability and normal 4-cylinder petrol engines.
It’s unbelievable that now Ford in Europe offers only two engines
1.0 and 1.5 Ecoboost 3 cylinders good for a lawn mower, not a car.
VE CEO: “ VW GROUP CEO SAYS PARTNERSHIP WITH FORD WILL GROW”, literally the headline of the story.
Thomas (doing his best to draw laughs): “ The sudden abandonment of cooperation shows how unreliable a partner Ford is.”
Yes Thomas, we are laughing…
rather comment on the sentence below !
“may ditch the MEB platform in favor of FoMoCo’s own American-based underpinnings, potentially putting this relationship on the rocks.”
Ford never committed to long term use of MQB. VW was looking for outside volume to spread costs, and Ford was looking for a quick and dirty platform for its Eu BEV pivot.
VW allowing Ford’s use of MEB was a mutually beneficial marriage of convenience but I think any rational industry observer could see that once Ford ramped up its global BEV activities, it would consolidate R&D on an in-house platform (rather than depending on a competitor, and paying a price premium, for core technologies.)
In the UK, the 3 cylinder engine is very popular; its a good performer for its size with plenty of character over a normal and quite dull 4 cylinder unit. There is one problem and that is its not as fuel efficient as maybe hoped, as you have to work a smaller engine harder thus offsetting any size benefit.
Popular does not mean durable and reliable.
Wait for timing belt replacement cost
I don’t recall Ford ever saying that MQB was more than an interim solution.
To the issue of brand partnerships.
I remember not to long ago a build agreement VW had with Chrysler… Stelantis et al, that built a minivan.
That was all very ‘ho humm and boring’ doing little good for either brand.
Similarly, I still hold VW out for their whole ‘clean diesel’ adventure.
Very disappointed that Ford would be so desperate to partner with VW given their lack of industry integrity
Marriage of convenience for both makers that helped mitigate product, volume, investment and cost challenges.
Ford and VW faced this in South America a couple generations ago and put their assets into a JV called AutoLatina.
Similarly, they had a JV for making minivans (Galaxy, Sharan and later Alhambra) called AutoEuropa.
Similarly Ford and Nissan had a JV in a Ford Ohio plant to build the Villager & Quest) and one for 6 years in Europe that built the Maverick and Terano 2.
After business improved, the assets were separated again or the production agreements were not renewed.
I think given this long history, VW was fully aware that Ford’s use of MQB was not a long term thing (because they would have done similar.)
ok… fair enough.