- Automotive giants Renault Group and Ford Motor Company have signed a strategic EV partnership, as both manufacturers continue the pivot towards electric vehicles.
- Under the agreement, the duo will develop two Ford-badged passenger electric cars based on Renault Group’s Ampere platform – the same architecture being used for Renault’s increasingly popular Renault 4 and Renault 5 EVs.
- The move marks a new strategy for Ford EVs in Europe, after lagging sales of its Volkswagen EV platform-based Capri and Explorer EVs.
Ford looks to offer cheaper EVs to Europe in new Renault partnership
The two new Ford EVs are set to arrive to customers in early 2028, and will be built on the Renault Group Ampere platform – a platform that has already seen the birth of Renault-branded EVs such as the viral 5 and 4. The two Ford models will be produced within Renault Group’s own production facility in Northern France.
Ford notes that these models will be differentiated from their related counterparts by featuring ‘distinctive driving dynamics’ and styling that is typical of Ford. However, exactly what these two new electric models will be remains to be confirmed. However, there is a strong assumption that this partnership could mark the return of the Ford Fiesta. This affordable and practical supermini was one of the best selling cars in Europe, but was still discontinued in 2023 – partly due to increasingly stringent emissions laws, which an EV variant would be able to overcome.
In addition to the collaboration on development of these two new electric passenger cars, the two automakers also signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on light commercial vehicle production, producing jointly-developed models which would be sold under both Ford badges and Renault badges. There’s no word yet on whether this would include EVs, but with the electric commercial vehicle market continuing to grow, it seems likely.
It’s not the first time Ford has leveraged EV technology from other manufacturers. Whilst its Ford Puma Gen-E and Mustang Mach-E are pure Ford, other electric models such as the Explorer and Capri were heavily based on Volkswagen Group’s EV-specific MEB platform. Ford also won’t be the first brand to make use of Renault’s Ampere platform, with the new Nissan Micra EV being heavily based on the Renault 5.
François Provost, CEO of Renault Group, commented:
“Renault Group is proud to announce a new strategic cooperation with Ford, an iconic car manufacturer. This partnership shows the strength of our partnership know-how and competitiveness in Europe. In the long term, combining our strengths with Ford will make us more innovative and more responsive in a fast-changing European automotive market.”
Jim Farley, President and CEO of Ford Motor Company, added:
“The strategic partnership with Renault Group marks an important step for Ford and supports our strategy to build a highly efficient and fit-for-the future business in Europe. We will combine Renault Group’s industrial scale and EV assets with Ford’s iconic design and driving dynamics to create vehicles that are fun, capable, and distinctly Ford in spirit.”
