VW to share EV platform with Ford, spend money on self-driving tech agency Argo AI
Ford and Volkswagen on Friday introduced a major enlargement of an alliance first introduced in January and which doesn’t contain any cross-ownership of shares of every firm.
Beneath the unique deal, Ford and VW plan to collectively develop industrial automobiles and share manufacturing amenities. One of many automobiles can be a redesigned model of VW’s Amarok mid-size pickup bought abroad, which can possible be twinned with Ford’s next-generation Ranger. It is due in 2022.
The 2 automakers have now detailed plans to additionally collaborate on EV and self-driving know-how.
Ford CEO Jim Hackett and Volkswagen Group CEO Herbert Diess
Within the space of self-driving know-how, VW will spend money on American self-driving tech agency Argo AI, whose key investor is Ford. VW will make investments a complete $2.6 billion in Argo AI to realize a stake within the firm equal to Ford, with the brand new funding valuing Argo AI at greater than $7 billion.
VW’s funding can be made up of $1 billion in money and $1.6 billion through the contribution of its personal self-driving tech division referred to as the Autonomous Clever Driving (AID) firm. AID is predicated in Munich, Germany, and has 200 workers. The German crew will now work intently with Argo AI’s 500 workers within the U.S.
The objective is to develop a protected, strong and dependable self-driving system that Ford and VW can use in mass-produced automobiles to be deployed in fleets providing rides, delivering items, and doubtlessly different providers, particularly in dense, city facilities. The primary of those automobiles will seem in 2021, possible in a really restricted service. The automobiles can have Stage four self-driving capabilty. Stage four means a automotive can function with out a driver in choose situations, equivalent to being restricted to areas the place there may be ample map knowledge, referred to as geo-fencing.
VW MEB platform
Additionally introduced Friday was a plan to share VW’s modular EV platform for high-volume vehicles, referred to as the MEB, with Ford. The Blue Oval is focusing on gross sales of 600,000 MEB-based automobiles in Europe over a 6-year interval. One automobile has already been confirmed and is because of arrive in 2023, and Ford is at the moment finding out a second.
The monetary transaction of the MEB sharing dealing wasn’t talked about, however Ford did state that the price of licensing the platform was a part of the greater than $11.5 billion the automaker has dedicated to creating EVs.
Each automakers additionally mentioned they may have a look at the place they will additional collaborate on EVs.
