Renault to build Ford’s next electric cars in France
Renault and Ford stirred the car industry today with an announcement that few saw coming. The French manufacturer confirmed it will produce the American giant’s next compact electric models. Ford’s design language and badges stay in place, but the technical backbone, the platform and the manufacturing shift decisively to France.
Renault says it will assemble two new Ford electric cars on its Ampere architecture, a platform split into several variants. AmpR Small already underpins the Renault 4 E Tech and the new electric Twingo. AmpR Medium supports models such as the Megane E Tech, Nissan Ariya and the Alpine A390 project. The platform is no longer just a technical footnote. It signals Renault’s ambition to export its progress and to draw a traditionally independent Ford into its orbit.
The first joint model should reach the production line in 2028. Dimensions, battery choices and powertrain details remain under wraps. It is still unclear whether Ford will lean towards minimalist city cars or slightly sportier small crossovers.
The partnership extends well beyond compact EVs. Ford’s strongest European business lies in commercial vehicles, and this is where both companies’ interests overlap most clearly. A newly signed memorandum of understanding allows them to explore joint development and production of electric LCVs. Each brand keeps its identity. Much of the hardware may be shared. The setup spreads costs and speeds up the transition to electric work vehicles.
Behind the scenes, both firms are already pushing forward with their own projects. Ford recently introduced the F Line E electric trucks with a range of up to 300 kilometres and a top speed of 90 kilometres per hour. Renault, meanwhile, is preparing to start production of the Trafic E Tech Electric in 2026. The van promises around 450 kilometres on a single charge and suits European businesses looking for a cleaner route into urban logistics.
Ford and Renault found each other at a moment when Chinese manufacturers are driving prices down and European policymakers are working to keep production on home soil. The two brands now form a pact that pulls manufacturing back to Europe, leans on French engineering and still preserves the visual identity that Ford buyers expect.
The move reaches beyond two companies. It signals that the cost of developing electric cars has climbed high enough for even the largest manufacturers to seek support. If the cooperation finds its rhythm, Europe’s factories may soon fill with models born at the crossroads of two distinct automotive cultures.
