Volkswagen, Ford Expand Cooperation on MEB EV Platform

VW’s version. Ford’s is yet to come.

Volkswagen Group and Ford Motor Company and are expanding their e-mobility partnership in an attempt by both makers to trim the ruinous costs of converting to EVs. Ford said today it plans to produce another electric model for the European market based on the MEB (Modular Electric Toolkit) platform. The Dearborn-based  automaker will also double its planned MEB volume to 1.2 million units over a six-year period.

The agreement was signed as part of the strategic alliance between Volkswagen and Ford, which includes e-mobility, commercial vehicles and autonomous driving. Designed as an open vehicle platform, it’s claimed MEB allows car manufacturers to electrify a portfolio quickly and cost-effectively. (AutoInformed:Volkswagen ID.4 – Most Affordable AWD Electric Vehicle in US?)

“Profitability and speed are now crucial for finally achieving the breakthrough of e-mobility in Europe,” said Thomas Schmall, Volkswagen Group Board of Management member for Technology and CEO of Volkswagen Group Components.

The first Ford model to use the MEB will be an all-electric crossover. It is expected to roll off the assembly line at the Ford Electrification Center in Cologne from 2023. Ford  – lagging in EVs – had originally planned just one model based on MEB with a total volume of around 600,000 units. The company has not yet released any details about the second planned model.

For Volkswagen, expanding the collaboration with Ford strengthens its wish to be a platform supplier for electric vehicles as a further pillar in addition to the core business. The MEB platform, which can be used by various brands and manufacturers, already provides the technology base for ten electric models from five brands. Used to build approximately 300,000 units in 2021, it is one of the leading electric platforms worldwide.

The MEB covers a wide range of segments and vehicle types, from compact vehicles up to SUVs and vans. The most recent model based on the MEB is the Volkswagen ID. Buzz, which celebrated its world premiere last week. (AutoInformed: Volkswagen Debuts ID. Buzz and ID.Buzz Cargo) The MEB also offers a more competitive cost base compared to other electric vehicles due to global economies of scale. It is mainly manufactured at the German locations of Volkswagen Group Components in Braunschweig, Kassel and Salzgitter.

Volkswagen shares the MEB and other Group platforms with partners. The newly created business unit “Platform Business” is responsible for these partnerships. Volkswagen’s future platform SSP will also be shared with partners; the use by various brands and manufacturers is already being considered in development from the outset.