ELECTRIC Ford Fiesta on the way – underpinned by the Renault 5 E-Tech

Ford is teaming up with Renault to use Renault’s Ampere Platform, which underpins the Renault 5, to build two new electric cars.

Ford has lost its way in Europe by binning the Fiesta and Focus, and in the process losing two-thirds of its market share in a misguided attempt to go more upmarket and EV.

Part of Ford’s strategy to deliver EVs buyers might actually want saw them pair up with VW to use the underpinnings from VW’s ID EVs to produce the Ford Explorer and Ford Capri, but both have failed to deliver anything like the number of sales Ford hoped.

Now, Ford is having another bash at borrowing underpinnings from a rival car maker to try and deliver affordable EVs, with a new deal with Renault to use their Ampere Platform, which underpins the Renault 5, Renault 4 and Alpine A290 (and the Nissan Micra).

Jim Farley, Ford CEO, said:

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.

The new partnership between Ford and Renault will see two new Ford EVs arriving in 2028 – one of which will be an electric successor to the Ford Fiesta – and cooperation on light commercial vehicles.

It’s an interesting move by Ford; let’s just hope, for their sake, that it’s a more successful venture than the VW one.