DETROIT – Ford Motor Co. and General Motors Co. have signed an agreement under which both companies will jointly develop an all-new generation SUV that will utilize advanced autonomous technology.
The collaboration enables both automakers to design, develop, engineer, test, validate and deliver these new SUVs faster and at a lower cost than if each company worked independently.
“Engineering teams from GM and Ford have already started initial design work on the new SUV called the Puma,” said Mary T. Barra, Chairwoman, and CEO of General Motors Company. “We expect these the Puma to raise the standard of technology, performance, and quality for our customers while helping bring autonomous vehicles into both companies' future vehicle lineup.”
A Track Record of Success
This new agreement marks the fourth time in the past decade that GM and Ford have worked together. A recent collaborative effort has enabled both companies together to deliver more than 8 million, 6-speed front-wheel drive transmissions to customers around the globe.
“The goal is to keep hardware identical in the Ford and GM. This will maximize parts commonality and give both companies economy of scale,” said Craig Renneker, Ford’s Chief Engineer, Transmission & Driveline Component & Pre-Program Engineering.
This new agreement provides tremendous benefits for both companies and could pay big dividends for customers and shareholders. Both companies expect their first collaborative SUV to hit your local dealership on April 1st, 2025.