Auto giants Ford and Volkswagen are reportedly joining forces to share their electric and autonomous car platforms.
According to a Reuters report on Friday, the two companies have reached an ‘outline agreement’ to share their technologies.
The source said VW’s MEB electric vehicle platform will be one of the innovations on the table when the firms meet again on July 11.
The MEB-based ID Crozz crossover vehicle goes on sale in the United States next year, with a 300-mile capacity and offering dual electric motors with a total of 302 horsepower. If the deal does through it’ll probably see future e-cars from Ford based upon the MEB platform.
Related: Audi E-Tron 2019
VW is currently going big on electrifying its line-up with a massive charm offensive. By the looks of ads like the below the company sees electric cars as its road to redemption following the emissions cheating scandal.
“We’ve offered thousands of apologies,” said Scott Keogh CEO of VW in the US, back in November. “For us, this wasn’t about the apology — we’ve been doing that. This is the reassessment of the brand, of the company, and how we want to move forward. We wouldn’t be capable of telling that story without first having this moment to clear the air, to make the pivot. We couldn’t pretend it didn’t happen.”
On the ongoing talks, a Ford spokeswoman said: “Our talks with Volkswagen continue. Discussions have been productive across a number of areas. We’ll share updates as details become more firm.”
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.