Ford Motor Company announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Renault Group as part of its next phase of European strategy.
In the announcement, Ford and Renault Group said they will work on passenger and commercial vehicles and expand Ford's electric vehicle offering.
According to Ford, the Detroit-based automaker will design two cars and use Renault's Ampere platform with the goal of bringing new affordable vehicles to Europe. Those new models will use Renault's EV assets and competitiveness on the continent and will be produced by Renault in the North of France.
Ford said that the first of the two vehicles is expected to arrive in showrooms in early 2028.
On top of the collaboration for passenger vehicles, Ford and Renault have signed a letter of intent for a light commercial vehicle collaboration, where the automakers will explore the chance to jointly develop and manufacture Ford and Renault-branded light commercial vehicles.
"Renault Group is proud to announce a new strategic cooperation with Ford, an iconic car manufacturer. 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," Renault Group CEO François Provost said in a statement.
"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. 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," Ford CEO Jim Farley added in a statement.
The strategic partnership is part of the next phase of the automaker's European transformation, also announced on Tuesday.
That transformation, Ford said, is built on three pillars: Strengthening the Ford Pro commercial division; expanding the Ford passenger car range; and optimizing the industrial system to drive scale and cost efficiencies, all with the goal of building a profitable business.
