Mahindra and Ford sign new agreements on powertrain sharing and connected mobility

New agreements on powertrain sharing and connected car solutions to strengthen the ongoing strategic alliance between the two giants which was first announced in September 2017. 

The Mahindra group and Ford Motor Company have added on to their ongoing strategic alliance by signing two new agreements under which the brands will jointly develop connected vehicle solutions and the domestic firm, Mahindra, will supply powertrains to the American firm's domestic unit. The latest definitive agreements on powertrain sharing and connected car solutions reiterate the progress made when this alliance was first announced in September 2017, which was followed up with five MoUs in March 2018.

Under the agreement on powertrain sharing, Mahindra will develop and supply a low-displacement petrol engine to Ford India for use in its future car models, starting in 2020. The BS-VI compliant powertrain will help Ford India strengthen and expand its existing family of petrol engines, which currently includes the all-new 3-cylinder TiVCT engine family. The two manufacturers have also embarked on their plan to jointly develop a telematics control unit, which will mark their foray into the connected vehicle space. Once developed, the connected vehicle solution will be deployed across both Mahindra and Ford vehicles. 

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Pawan Goenka, Managing Director, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd. said, 'Today’s announcement further builds on commitments made so far, leading to a fruition of exciting new opportunities. We are confident to meet customer expectations by working together on a number of joint development areas. Going forward we will continue to identify the synergies that exist between the two companies.'

The alliance between the two brands aims at creating a more affordable portfolio of vehicles for the Indian market, by leveraging Ford's global outreach and Mahindra's stronghold in the Indian automotive industry, along with its successful business model.