We’ve been hearing rumors for a while about a new partnership between two of the biggest automotive giants in the business: Ford and Volkswagen, and on Tuesday morning Ford finally made that alliance official. There’s no cross-ownership going on here as was previously rumored, but the two brands are teaming up on the production of vans, midsize pickup trucks and possibly EVs. Of course, other “mobility services” are also in the works.
What does that mean, exactly? It means the two conglomerates are combining their van and mid-size pickup sectors which include Ford’s Transit line and Ranger as well as VW’s Transporter and Caddy vans along with the Amarok pickup. Previously, these vehicles were direct competitors in global markets, but VW and Ford have decided to combine their efforts in order to “better serve customers in an era of rapid change in the industry.”
Based on a statement from Ford spokesperson Mike Levine to The Drive, that doesn’t exactly mean we can expect to see Ford Rangers rebadged as Volkswagens on American roads. “At this time, the agreement is for midsize pickup trucks in Europe, Africa, and South America only and one-ton vans in Europe,” Levine said in an email.
As for the whole EV/autonomy/mobility aspect of this agreement, it’s pretty vague at this time. The statement from Ford says the alliance has “started to explore opportunities” in these spaces and could collaborate on them in the future with more vehicle programs like the truck/van program that was confirmed today.