Ford's Next EV Following the Mach-E Might Use Volkswagen's Electric Powertrain

author: Manish Kharinta   

The Ford Motor Company recently followed up the introduction of its Mustang-inspired Mach-E electric crossover by indicating that another smaller e-SUV might join the highly anticipated pony car-inspired electric crossover.

Industry reports indicate that Ford is currently working on joining forces with German automaker Volkswagen in a partnership that will allow Ford to use VW's electric vehicle architecture to bolster its electrified lineup.

Murat Gueler, chief designer at Ford of Europe, recently revealed that VW's electric vehicle architecture was incorporated into earlier designs of the Mach-E, however the plans were scrapped by Ford once the final design of the Mach-E came together. 

The two rival automakers however, immediately broke into talks about the possible expansion of Ford's EV family using Volkswagen's modular EV architecture. The proposed agreement will allow Ford to license the platform from Volkswagen.

Volkswagen's MEB all-electric platform will also underpin the models of VW's ID family of electric vehicles. 

Reports also suggest that some Ford executives have already met with representatives from Volkswagen to discuss the possibility of sharing the architecture of the VW ID.3 to develop a new battery-powered Ford model.

Gueler also added that Ford's smaller EV will feature a different silhouette than Mach-E but it will also be a compact crossover. 

This can be attributed to the fact that the ID.3 platform features a small hood as the gap between the windscreen and steering wheel is elongated to accommodate various design elements, including an augmented reality heads up display, which Ford plans on offering in the future.

Ford has confirmed that after its initial negotiations with Volkswagen that it's confident that VW's MEB platform will offer the flexibility to develop an offering with the performance characteristics that Ford is aiming for.

The smaller electric crossover might feature the same headlight and taillight styling as its much larger Mach-E sibling and flaunt a similar aggressively styled roofline.

Seeing how VW's MEB platform had been designed to be compatible with both single- (rear-wheel-drive) and dual-motor (all-wheel-drive) setups, it's possible that Ford's next EV crossover might get a 302 horsepower, 300-mile range electric powertrain. It is also likely that Ford might offer the smaller crossover with different sized battery packs.

Among all of the speculation, there's still no official word hinting at the possible launch date of the smaller electric crossover from Ford. 

The debut of a smaller EV depends primarily on how well Ford's Mach-E performs in terms of sales.

Manish Kharinta

Manish Kharinta is a automotive writer based in the Los Angeles area. He has worked for automotive industry websites TheSmokingClutch.com, CarDekho.com and CarBikeindia.com. His experience ranges from covering auto shows, to car reviews and breaking automotive news. Manish aims to bring forth his unique perspective on automotive design and technological innovations in the automotive industry.