A new partnership between Ford and Renault has been announced, aimed at giving the Blue Oval brand a wider and more affordable range of EVs in Europe.
The surprise announcement was made yesterday, and comes amid Ford CEO Jim Farley openly calling for European lawmakers to relax the pathway towards its internal combustion engine ban, due to come into effect in 2035.
As a part of the partnership, Ford will launch two EVs based on Renault’s Ampere platform, with the first of the two models slated to arrive in European showrooms in early 2028.
Unlike Ford’s current European EV arrangement with Volkswagen – which has seen the Explorer and Capri become redesigned versions of the ID.4 and ID.5 – Ford claims the Renault-based EV will “feature distinctive driving dynamics, authentic Ford-brand DNA and intuitive experiences”.
Both vehicles will be built at the ElectriCity complex in Douai, France, the current home of the Renault 5 E-Tech.
While Ford is tight-lipped about what the new vehicles will be, UK outlet Autocar claims the first of the two EVs is expected to be a spiritual successor to the Fiesta, which exited production in 2023.
This would give Ford a competitor in the ‘supermini’ market, something it’s been absent from following the demise of the Fiesta, and add another rival to the likes of Volkswagen’s upcoming ID. Polo.
Autocar added the second model will reportedly be a small SUV, similar in size to the Puma Gen-E, which could replace the popular vehicle.
“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,” said Ford CEO Farley.
“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.”
In addition to the two Ampere-based EVs, Ford and Renault have also signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) to collaborate on developing and manufacturing light commercial vehicles for the European market.
Currently, Ford has a sharing deal with Volkswagen, with its Transit Custom becoming the VW Transporter, while internationally the Ford Ranger is reskinned to be sold as the Amarok.
“Renault Group is proud to announce a new strategic cooperation with Ford, an iconic car manufacturer,” said Renault CEO François Provost.
“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.”
The announcement was made just a few weeks after the final Ford Focus rolled off the production line, and amid job cuts at the factory producing the Explorer and Capri EVs, which are suffering from lower than expected demand.
A spokesperson for Ford Australia declined to comment when asked if the Renault-based EVs would be offered here.
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