Renault to build EVs for Ford in Europe, collaborate on vans

Renault and Ford are entering into a strategic alliance that will see the French automaker producing two EVs for Ford, and the two companies working together on vans.

Both EVs will be designed by Ford, and have the company’s “distinctive driving dynamics”, but are to be based on a Renault EV architecture. They will be also built by Renault at its plant in Douai, France, near the Belgian border.

The first of the two electric vehicles should hit European showrooms in early 2028. They are expected to be entry-level models that will sit underneath the existing Explorer EV and Capri SUV, both of which are around 4.46m long.

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As such, it’s likely the new Fords will be based on the AmpR Small platform that’s used by the 3.92m Renault 5 E-Tech hatch, 4.14m 4 E-Tech SUV, and 3.79m Twingo E-Tech city car.

The latest Nissan Micra also uses this architecture, as it is essentially a 5 E-Tech with a redesigned exterior. Renault will also produce a version of the Twingo for Nissan, but this car has yet to make its debut.

We can rule out a Ford-ified version of the Twingo as it’s produced in Slovenia, meaning the new Renault-based Fords will be a Polo-sized hatch and a Puma-class SUV.

The new Renault deal isn’t the first time Ford has entered into a partnership with a European automaker for EV technology. The existing Explorer EV and Capri EV are based on the Volkswagen Group’s MEB architecture, but have bodies, interiors and interfaces designed by Ford, and are produced by Ford at its factory in Cologne, Germany.

Neither the Explorer EV nor Capri EV are selling as expected, though, forcing Ford to scale back production and cut the 1000 employees at the Cologne plant.

In addition to two new Renault-based EVs, Ford and Renault have also signed a letter of intent to jointly develop and build light commercial vehicles, most likely vans.

As Ford and Volkswagen already have a partnership to jointly engineer and produce the Caddy/Transit Connect, and Transit Custom/Transporter, meaning Renault and Ford will likely work on other segments together, such as entry-level Transit Courier and Transit/Master.

While Ford of Europe once competed in every major market segment, it has been scaling back its range over the past few years with the current passenger car range consisting of the Puma and Kuga SUVs, Mustang sports car, and the Explorer, Capri and Mustang Mach-E electric SUVs.

Production of the Fiesta ended in 2023, while the final Focus rolled off the line in November. Other vehicles axed by Ford of Europe over the past few years include the Mondeo, S-Max, and Galaxy.

A majority of the company’s sales now come from its extensive van range, which includes the Transit Courier, Transit Connect, Transit Custom, and Transit, as well as their people mover Tourneo siblings.

Back in its heyday Ford had a market share around 12 per cent and was one of the Continent’s major automakers, but now it hold just under four per cent of the European market.

Earlier this year, Ford re-committed itself to the European market, and the two Renault-based are said to be the first in a wave of new models for the European market.

A report earlier this year indicated Ford was working on new hybrid models, including possibly an SUV wearing the hallowed Focus badge.

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