Ford and Volkswagen entered into a historic partnership agreement years ago, one that has thus far produced multiple vehicles sold by both companies – many of which share platforms, powertrains, and many other things in common. That list includes the Ford Explorer EV and another, as-yet-unveiled all-electric crossover riding on VW’s MEB platform, and soon, The Blue Oval will also build the new VW Transporter van alongside its Transit Connect at the joint-venture Ford Otosan Assembly plant in Turkey, too. However, amid declining global demand for EVs as of late, it’s unclear which direction Ford Europe plans to go in terms of EVs moving forward, as Ford Model e Europe head Martin Sander explained in a recent interview with Autocar.
Other than the new Explorer EV and its counterpart – which is rumored to bring back the Capri nameplate – Sander said Ford still has “not made a decision on future products after the two MEB products we are launching now,” referring to both of the aforementioned models, each of which are underpinned by Volkswagen’s existing MEB platform.
This is quite the interesting note following Ford’s announcement that it plans to electrify its entire lineup in Europe by 2030 or sooner just a couple of years ago, though Sander also offered some other clues as to what Ford Europe, specifically, may be considering. That includes, interestingly enough, the possibility that the automaker may continue making small cars in that region, even after it recently discontinued the Fiesta and is planning to axe the Focus in 2025.
Of course, Ford Europe has also long been considering the use of its own, next-generation EV platform for future all-electric models, and Sander also revealed that the automaker was still thinking about doing precisely that as well. Regardless, the focus here is clearly on driving down EV prices, which remain a bit high for consumer taste, and using a shared platform is one way to do precisely that.
We’ll have more on Ford’s future EV plans soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for continuous Ford news coverage.
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