There is a continuous line between the Ford Focus Electric and the Ford Mustang Mach-E – to the upcoming E-Transit. Ford's partnership with Volkswagen, on the other hand, forms a hero ny line in Ford's electric car venture.
Ten years ago, Ford's market share in passenger car sales was on par with Volkswagen and Toyota. In 2020, Volkswagen had 13,6% of the passenger car market while Toyota had 9,1% (OFV.no). Ford ended up with a market share of only 2,3%. Ford really needs a new electric car, like the Mustang Mach-E, to capture larger market shares. Production is running at full speed to meet demand in the US. 3700 cars were sold there in February. Soon cars can be delivered to Norway too.
Focus Electric
Historically, Ford has proven that they have mastered electric car technology. The Ford Focus Electric was never a bad electric car - but rarely came out particularly well in car tests. The concept was the same as the e-Golf. They took an existing fossil model and converted it to an electric car. Electric motor at the front and batteries located under the back seat and in the boot. Ford's biggest mistake was that they should have offered fast charging much earlier. It only came in 2017 together with an upgraded battery of 33,5 kwh. "Lack of fast charging" had followed the electric Focus for too long for the upgraded model to catch on.
Then Ford's electricity disappeared
It could seem as if the gentlemen in Ford's boardroom had decided to shelve further electric car investment. Perhaps they interpreted it as meaning that the world was not yet ready for electric cars? Sales of sedans had long been declining in the United States. Not because of a lack of electric car models, but because more and more people switched to pickups or SUVs. All in all, it was a fat one for Ford. But from 2017 market share started to fall in the US – not dramatically – but a steady decline of 1,1% over 12 quarters. The customer leak could be traced to Tesla.
The table for E-Transit
That Ford lost market share in the passenger car segment was not a disaster as long as sales of commercial vehicles held up well. And it has done so - both in the USA and in Norway. The Corona crisis has given good conditions for product distribution. In 2020, Ford finished as number 2 in the number of vans sold in Norway, only beaten by Volkswagen. Until next year (2022), the production of E-Transit starts simultaneously in the USA and Otosan, Turkey. The E-Transit will get a 76 kwh battery and powertrain from the Mustang Mach-E. In 2023, there will be an all-electric version of the F-150, also with drivelines from Mach-E.
A continuous line
There is a connection in Ford's electric car program from the Focus Electric to the Mach-E. The new powertrains, based on GE1 (Global Electrified 1), are actually a heavily modified version of the C2 platform from Focus Electric. GE1 appears to be a successful collaboration between Ford and the battery manufacturer LG Chem.
Why then has Ford entered into a strategic partnership with VAG?
The most obvious may be that Volkswagen's MEB platform (Modularer E-Antriebs-Baukasten) is easier to adapt to smaller and lighter cars, such as the ID.3 and Focus – cars that will soon be in demand on the German home market. Another important factor is that Ford can gain access to the Volkswagen group's battery production. Not only can it ensure access to battery cells, but also access to modern technology and production methods. In any case, the production of Ford's new MEB-based electric car series will take place at Ford Cologne Electrification Center and eventually also in Saarlouis, where the Focus Electric was once produced.
What Ford's MEB model will look like
Bilpressen has already made several sketches. Will it be a shortened version of today's Mustang Mach-E? Maybe it will look like the Ford Focus? Some have also made sketches based on the new Ford getting the same design language as Volkswagen's ID.3 and ID.4. Ford and Volkswagen have previously operated with "badging", where the same car model is produced as different brands. Will we get an ID.3 with the front of the Mustang Mach-E?
Terje's cars will be no worse than other car magazines. Our design of MEB-based Fords is based on Ford's European design language, - with a front à la Mustang Mach-E.
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