Ford is considering developing a number of electric vehicles that will be based on Volkswagen’s MEB architecture.
The two car manufacturing giants have already announced an engineering partnership that will see Ford develop commercial vehicles for the two brands. Ford is also already testing a compact MEB-based SUV that it will launch in 2023 and will slot below the Mustang Mach-E in its range. Ford of Europe president Stuart Rowley wants to see the companies work together on more models.
“We have a point of view on that, and we have certain things we’ve agreed with Volkswagen,” Rowley said during the recent Financial Times Future of the Car summit when asked about making more MEB-based models. “Our alliance isn’t meant to be capped or defined, and we’re going to look for opportunities to work together for mutual benefit where it makes sense for both companies. I’ve got a point of view [on future plans]; we haven’t shared that, but there could be a lot of opportunities with commercial vehicles, the MEB platform and in other areas.”
Read More: Ford Considers Another Electric Crossover Based On VW’s MEB Platform
Of course, Ford is still has its own EV architecture that is used by the Mustang Mach-E and a platform that will also form the basis of the all-electric F-150 Lightning, Autocar notes. However, according to Rowley, it makes sense for Ford to make the most of VW’s larger presence in Europe, particularly in the mid-sized segment.
“The mid-sized vehicle segment in Europe is very important, and there Volkswagen has a lot more scale than Ford, so it makes sense [to use MEB],” Rowley said. “The capital required to go on this journey is huge, and we’re not the only company in this industry to look at alliances. We’re both clear-eyes about it, but so far, we’re both really pleased with the platform. As we go forward, where one company has scale, it makes sense to draw on that. But to be very clear, Ford has and will have its own global battery electric platforms, and we’ll use some of those in Europe also.”
