Ford 'does not rule out' reviving Fiesta as an EV with VW platform

Ford is not ruling out selling a battery-electric replacement for its Fiesta using a version of Volkswagen's upcoming affordable, small EV, Ford Europe's passenger cars boss Martin Sander said.

Ford ended production of the Fiesta on July 7 as the company transitions to becoming an all-electric brand in Europe.

The automaker’s Fiesta factory in Cologne, Germany, has had a $2 billion revamp to build electric cars based on VW Group’s MEB architecture. The first of Ford's VW-based EVs, a compact SUV called the Explorer, will arrive in European dealerships early next year.

When asked whether Ford would take a version of the VW's MEB based small electric car, Sander said the automaker has "a very constructive and positive cooperation with Volkswagen and we are possibly exploring opportunities to take that to the next level."

"Nothing has been decided, but I don't want to rule that out," he said in an interview with ANE.

VW brand in March unveiled the ID2all concept for an affordable small battery-electric car that it aims to sell for below 25,000 euros.

Ford exited the small car market in Europe after the costs of meeting ever-stricter emissions standards made small cars uneconomic for the company.

“Smaller vehicles are smaller margin. We do not have the scale of the Volkswagen Group or Stellantis in Europe,” Sander said. “Small vehicles like Fiesta are not the heartland of Ford Motor Company.”

Global EVs built in Spain

Ford is focusing its European electric aspirations on the company’s second-generation EV platform that will debut in the U.S. in 2025 as a pickup and seven-seat SUV.

The platform will be localized for Europe in Ford’s factory in Valencia, Spain, with European derivatives of global cars.

“Our first priority is to get our own platform and our own technology to Europe, because I really believe we are building a very, very competitive platform,” Sander said.
With its own models built in Spain, Ford will balance the needs of European buyers with cost effectiveness.

“It's easy to spin off a derivative with very limited investment in order to make it a little more suitable for a certain part of the world. That is clearly part of our plan,” Sander said. “But we will not create a [passenger] vehicle only for Europe.”

Ford’s partnership with VW Group includes building for VW brand a version of the Ranger pickup that VW sells as the Amarok.

Ford will also build a version of its upcoming Transit Custom light commercial van for VW called the Transport. VW is building a passenger version of its Caddy compact van for Ford.

The MEB-based Explorer will start at under 45,000 euros. A second VW-based model that Ford describes as a sports crossover will also go on sale next year.