Volkswagen and Ford have signed the contracts for their global alliance in the areas of electrification, light commercial vehicles, and autonomous driving. This paves the way for a Ford electric vehicle based on Volkswagen’s Modular Electric Drive Box (MEB).
Discussions on the project have been public since last Summer, and both partners are now confirming the details: Ford will launch the MEB electric car in 2023, expecting within several years to deliver more than 600,000 units which they say will “combine generous space with the advantages of electric drive”.
Ford electric cars are being developed in Cologne-Merkenich, Germany, and Ford is expanding their selection; in addition to the Mustang Mach-E, electric versions are in development of the Transit and F-150.
Both companies say it is more important than ever to form strong alliances between strong companies during the economic difficulty due to the Corona crisis; best way to reduce development costs and enable greater global distribution of EVs and commercial vehicles.
In addition to cooperation in the field of e-mobility, the new alliance also targets a medium-sized pickup truck designed by Ford, which is to be included in the model range of Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles from 2022. Including two other commercial vehicle projects, the partners intend to develop and produce a total of around 8 million vehicles. In the field of autonomous driving, both groups rely on the SDS (Self-Driving System) from Argo AI. Volkswagen recently completed its announced investment in Argo AI, and Ford already holds ownership and development shares.