Renault To Build Ford’s Next Budget EVs In Europe

• Ford has reached out to Renault to build two new affordable EVs for Europe.
• The two models will debut in early 2028 and will likely only be available in Europe.
• This could mean the Fiesta nameplate will return in 2028, and there’s even a chance for the hot Fiesta ST to become an EV.

Renault and Ford have signed a partnership agreement to allow the latter to use the French company’s Ampere platform to underpin two new EVs set to arrive in early 2028. Renault will also produce these new EVs for Ford under a deal similar to the one the Blue Oval previously signed with Volkswagen, which led to the creation of the Euro-spec Explorer and Capri.

The two companies didn’t say which version of the Ampere platform would be used in the new model, suggesting that it could be both AmpR Small (previously known as CMF-B EV) and AmpR Medium (formerly CMF-EV). This would mean one vehicle could be a B-segment subcompact and the other a C-segment compact.

We don’t have any confirmation on this, but it could also be two city cars: one hatchback and a taller crossover based on AmpR Small, essentially Ford’s version of the Renault 5 and 4 E-Tech models. This likely signals the return of the Fiesta nameplate as a pure electric vehicle, making it the fifth hatchback built on this platform after the Renault 5 and Twingo, the Nissan Micra EV and an upcoming Dacia-badged model.

Even though the new Fords will be built on a Renault platform, company CEO Jim Farley said they “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.”

Using this platform could allow Ford to reintroduce the Fiesta ST with electric power by borrowing the powertrain from the Alpine A290, which has 220 horsepower and 221 lb-ft (300 Nm) of torque for an acceleration time to 62 mph (100 km/h) of 6.4 seconds.

The battery packs will likely be shared with the Renault 5 and 4, so base cars will have a 40 kWh pack while the long-range variant boosts capacity to 52 kWh. This gives the Renault 5 a claimed WLTP range rating of up to 255 miles (410 km). This will likely be very similar for the upcoming Ford models, too.

Both new models will be built at Renault’s electric vehicle manufacturing hub in Douai, and “they mark the first step in a comprehensive new product offensive for Ford in Europe.” Ford is also developing its own EVs and one could bear a Focus badge, although it will likely be a crossover not a hatchback like its very successful predecessor. The new model is expected to slot between the Puma and Explorer in the Ford lineup with a focus on affordability.

The tie-up with Renault seems like a last-ditch attempt by Ford to stay competitive as more affordable Chinese cars flood Europe. It’s either to outsource the development and construction of these low-cost EVs to another manufacturer or not include them in the lineup at all, which seems to be Ford’s strategy for the near future. Company boss Jim Farley hasn’t shied away from saying “we are in a fight for our lives in our industry,” so all of this outsourcing to other companies seems like a desperate attempt to keep the Ford name on the market by any means necessary and at minimum cost.