Renault Group and Ford form a strategic partnership for passenger and commercial vehicles, starting with two affordable electric cars in Europe. The companies have signed a partnership agreement to develop two Ford-branded passenger electric vehicles based on Renault Group’s Ampere platform.
Additionally, the companies will explore the opportunity to collaborate in the commercial vehicle segment in Europe to jointly develop and manufacture selected Renault- and Ford-branded light commercial vehicles. “The partnership combines the expertise and industrial scale of Renault Group and Ford in Europe and will enhance the competitiveness of both parties”, says the press release.
Two new Fords… by Renault
A cornerstone of this collaboration is a partnership agreement to develop two distinct Ford-branded electric vehicles. The new models will be based on the Ampere platform, leveraging Renault Group’s strong EV assets and competitiveness, and produced by Renault Group in the North of France, “illustrating Ampere’s ElectriCity’s ‘state-of-the-art’ manufacturing capabilities and expertise,” Renault proudly states.
“Designed by Ford, developed with Renault Group, the two cars will feature distinctive driving dynamics, authentic Ford-brand DNA, and intuitive experiences,” Ford stresses. They mark the first step in Ford’s comprehensive new product offensive in Europe. The first of the two vehicles is expected in showrooms in early 2028.
In addition to collaborating on EVs, Renault Group and Ford have also signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) for a European light commercial vehicle collaboration. Under this LoI, the partners will explore the opportunity to jointly develop and manufacture Renault and Ford’s selected light commercial vehicles (LCVs).
Quotes
François Provost, CEO of Renault Group, announced: “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.”
Jim Farley, president and CEO, Ford Motor Company, replied: “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.”
Combining strengths
“The companies will take advantage of the proven capabilities and competitiveness of Renault Group’s Ampere platform, EV manufacturing ecosystem, and industrial capacities in the North of France (ElectriCity) to produce two all-new Ford-branded electric passenger vehicles,” the press release states.
By combining their expertise as major players in Europe across innovation, design, software, and service delivery, Renault Group and Ford will aim to address industry challenges and better serve customers in both the retail and commercial vehicle segments.
“The Renault Group and Ford strategic partnership will combine decades of experience in the light commercial vehicle segment, as well as the industrial scale and extensive supply base of both companies, creating a formidable force poised to drive innovation and efficiency in the European market,” the communique concludes.
It was in a meeting in Paris yesterday that both CEOs met to conclude the partnership. It gives Ford the support it needs to regain market share in Europe, and Renault can ensure its Electricity complex produces EVs at full capacity. “We are fighting to survive and making our industry survive,” said Ford’s Jim Farley. “We are facing a formidable Chinese competition on all continents.”
Ford in Europe
Over the last 5 years, Ford of Europe has been in a serious downward phase. In the first ten months of 2025, Ford sold 256,750 cars, representing 2.9% market share. In 2019, Ford still sold 801,473 cars during the same period, representing a market share of 6.2%.
Jim Farley states that he’s been looking into all scenarios for his European strategy. The one that has now been announced is the most economical. “Wwe have been looking at all platforms of European manufacturers. Those of Reanult were really the most interesting en performant concerning costs. I’ve studied renault’s resurgence thoroughly and I was convinced that it would be a very attractive opportunity,” Fords’s boss admits.
Where the Letter of Intent concerning LCVs is concerned, the picture is a little more difficult here. Ford is already producing LCVs together with Volkswagen, in Europe as well as in the States. In Europe, VW produces the VW Caddy and the Ford transit Connect on the same line. In, the U.S., Ford assembles the Ford Ranger and the VW Amarok pick-ups, and the Ford Transit Custom and VW Transporter. This means all vehicles share the same technology.
Will the new deal compromise the Ford/VW link? “This partnership is very important to us and it will continue,” says Jim Baumbick, Ford Europe’s CEO. “We learned a lot about establishing industrial partnerships,” he adds. Jim Farley goes a little bit further: “In the future, there will be two possibilities: we’ll come closer and closer to Renault, or Volkswagen joins us to become the undisputable leader on the LCV market.”
