Volkswagen & Ford Expand Partnership

Ford’s Electric VW-Crossover Revealed on March 21

Nearly three years ago, Ford and Volkswagen finalized their agreement to join forces and develop vehicles together. Now, the fruits of their labour are being seen, with a VW-based electric crossover for Europe set to debut in a few days. Volkswagen Group CEO Oliver Blume has declared that the partnership between the two is “intensifying.” This new model is a testament to the progress they have made in their collaboration.

It has been two months since Ford announced that it plans to reduce its reliance on Volkswagen’s electric vehicle technology. The Blue Oval is investing in devising its own EV platform, incorporating the MEB structure from VW in order to speed up the process of manufacturing electric cars for the European market. Ford has declared that all vehicles produced for the continent will be electric by 2030; models built from their singular platform will arrive later on in the decade.

As Ford transitions resources to prioritize its own internal electric vehicle technology, the automaker still maintains collaborations with the German automotive giant. Their combined projects basically focus on trucks and vans, an area that Volkswagen’s new Amarok pickup has benefited from considerably by utilizing the same platform as the freshly launched Ford Ranger. While the model is basically based off Ranger’s system, it does distinguish itself with a fresh external identity. Looking ahead, both companies are exploring methods to electrify the crossover.

As part of their collaboration, Ford and Volkswagen also made a common investment into Argo AI, a firm specializing in the development of autonomous vehicle technology. The organization disbanded in October, causing both Ford and VW to pick up numerous former personnel from Argo in order to persist with the creation of such technology internally.

Come March 21, Ford’s first model featuring the company’s MEB platform will be unveiled (headline image at the top). Directly on par with Volkswagen’s ID.4 car, Ford aims to further differentiate this vehicle with a unique design. We still don’t know whether it’ll come outfitted with VW’s infotainment system, or even Ford’s very own SYNC platform, as seen in the Amarok based off of Ford components.

Several teasers have revealed a boxy crossover with a rugged-looking design. The powertrain details are still unknown, but it is expected to feature components from Volkswagen. In addition, the carmaker is also working on a second MEB-based electric vehicle called the “Sport Crossover,” which is its ID.5 equivalent. According to Blue, both of these vehicles are only at the beginning of their “cooperation project.”

Ford’s electrified vehicle selection will arrive with some casualties in tow. The automaker has decided to no longer create the renown Fiesta and Focus models after 2023 and 2025 respectively.

Source: Automotive News Europe