BRITAIN’S most beloved car “may be reborn” as an electric after being axed two years ago.
The iconic motor is getting a much-needed upgrade to fit in with the EV revolution.
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The fan-favourite Ford Fiesta is set to return and this time it’ll be decked out with a charging socket.
It was scrapped from production in July 2023, much to the dismay of loyal customers.
However, soon it might be re-introduced with the help of Volkswagen.
Both Ford and Volkswagen joined forces for a “very successful” first project, meaning more Ford EVs could be on the way.
The manufacturer made a deal with Volkswagen in 2020 to use the same electric car parts that VW uses in their ID.4 and ID.5 models.
These cars are electric SUVs built on the same MEB platform, which essentially is the vehicle architecture, but designed for slightly different tastes.
With this deal, Ford was able to make two new electric cars — the Ford Explorer EV and the Ford Capri EV — using VW’s electric system underneath but with Ford’s own design.
This deal worked so well that there’s talk that Ford might bring back other old models, like the Fiesta, using the same approach.
While nothing is set in stone, Volkswagen’s head of sales and marketing Martin Sander, told Auto Express their partnership was “very, very, very successful.”
The sales boss said he did “not want to rule out that there are future opportunities here to share technology again.”
This means a new wave of superminis could be on the cards.
The updated electric Fiesta would have a range of up to 280 miles and DC fast-charging speeds of 125kW.
Sander said the collaboration is “an opportunity for [VW] to scale even more than we can, on the basis of the size of our business.”
While Ford hasn’t confirmed any details on whether an EV Ford Fiesta might make an appearance, it said it would make investments where it sees.
The manufacturer revealed: “Ford is confident in its ability to compete in the right segments.”
Ford’s secretive California-based Skunkworks team, a small elusive group of engineers, is currently hard at work on a new affordable electric vehicle platform.
Last year the carmaker said: “We developed a super-talented skunkworks team to create a low-cost EV platform.
“It was a small group, small team, some of the best EV engineers in the world, and it was separate from the Ford mothership.
“It was a start-up.”
However, the project seems to be zeroing in on a medium-sized pick-up as its first focus which doesn’t appear to describe an EV Fiesta.
Ford said it would provide an update on electrification, technology, profitability and capital requirements in the first half of 2025.
Fiesta fans will have to sit with their fingers crossed in the meantime.
