Ford Motor Co. in Dearborn today announced the next phase of its European strategy, reinforcing its commitment to the region for both retail and commercial customers with a strategy focused on agility, cost efficiency, and a sharpened brand promise.
A key element of the strategy is an electric vehicle and commercial vehicle partnership with France-based Renault Group.
The agreement includes jointly developing two Ford-branded electric passenger vehicles on Renault’s Ampere platform, arriving in showrooms in 2028. While leveraging shared architecture for efficiency, Ford will lead the design and driving dynamics to ensure these vehicles are distinctly Ford.
The companies also signed a letter of intend to explore the joint development and manufacture of Ford- and Renault-branded light commercial vehicles, leveraging common platforms to drive industrial scale.
“Our plan is about unleashing the Blue Oval,” says Jim Baumbick, president of Ford Europe. “We are leveraging strategic partnerships to ensure competitiveness, but we are obsessing over the product. These will be fun-to-drive, fully connected vehicles that stand out from the crowd.”
In addition to the collaboration with Renault, Ford’s strategy for Europe includes further strengthening its Ford Pro commercial vehicle division and optimizing its industrial system to drive scale and cost efficiencies.
Building toward a sustainably profitable business in Europe, Ford’s next chapter will see a new product offensive driven by the introduction of new multi-energy, affordable cars, and commercial vehicles designed to support customer choice on their journey to electrification and boost the company’s competitiveness in an aggressive market.
The planned new vehicles will enhance Ford’s existing product range and are expected to arrive in showrooms in 2028.
“As an American company, we see Europe as the frontline in the global transformation of our industry,” says Jim Farley, president and CEO of Ford. “How we compete here — how we innovate, partner, and invest — will write the playbook for the next generation. We are committed to a vibrant future in Europe, but that future requires us to move with greater speed and efficiency than ever before.”
Ford Pro, according to the automaker, continues to be the engine of the company’s European business. The division is moving beyond hardware to offer a comprehensive ecosystem of software and services. By turning billions of vehicle data points into actionable intelligence, the Ford Live Uptime system delivered an estimated 820,000 additional days of vehicle uptime to European businesses in 2024 alone.
Ford says it’s evolving its industrial operations in Europe, designed to support the shift to multi-energy vehicles and deliver customer choice. Ford’s Valencia plant is expected to continue to play a critical role in realizing Ford’s plan for an enhanced passenger vehicle portfolio in Europe.
Ford’s strategy for Europe is designed to navigate Europe’s evolving CO2 emission regulations, providing customers with a range of affordable, multi-energy options during the transition to electrification. The current share of electric vehicles in Europe is steady at 16.1 percent, far below the required 25 percent of new vehicle registrations required to meet Europe’s strict CO2 targets by 2025.
“We need to enable everyone to benefit from electrification and letting customers choose – whether that’s fully electric or hybrid vehicles,” says Baumbick. “It is about making the transition more attractive and more affordable for all consumers and businesses, stimulating demand rather than stifling it.”
Ford proposes three steps to ensure a successful transition:
Align Targets with Reality. We must align CO2 targets with actual market adoption and provide automakers with a realistic and reliable 10-year planning horizon. This includes giving consumers the option to drive hybrid vehicles for longer, bridging the gap rather than forcing a leap they aren’t ready to take.
Incentivize the Transition: European manufacturers have invested hundreds of billions in EVs. Governments must match that commitment with consistent purchase incentives and a charging infrastructure that extends beyond wealthy urban centers into the rural heartland.
Support the Working Economy: The current approach to commercial vehicles is an economic tax on the backbone of Europe. Only 8 percent of new vans are electric. These vehicles are tools for plumbers, florists, and builders. Aggressive CO2 targets on commercial vehicles unfairly penalize the small and medium-sized businesses that generate more than 50 percent of Europe’s GDP.
In Related News: The Ford Maverick has been named the 2026 MotorTrend Truck of the Year.
“With nearly half a million sales under the Maverick’s belt, Ford is updating the hardware and software in ways that make it both a better truck and a friskier, more fun commuter,” MotorTrend wrote.
“Over two weeks of intensive truck testing, the Ford quickly distinguished itself amid our field of two new and three revised contenders against our six key criteria: performance of intended function, engineering excellence, advancement in design, efficiency, value, and safety.”
