** Shares of automaker Ford F.N up 3.7% at $13.90 premarket

** Ford Energy, a subsidiary of Ford Motor Co, signs a five‑year framework deal with EDF power solutions to supply up to 20 GWh of grid‑scale battery storage in the U.S., starting in 2028

** Gains tied to Ford Energy helped the stock post its strongest weekly performance in nearly seven months last week

** Ford also set to launch seven new models in Europe by 2029, as it seeks to grow its flagging passenger car sales, fight off fierce competition from Chinese rivals, and maintain an edge in the continent's commercial vehicle market

** "Our plan is to actually grow our market share... in a marketplace that is almost fracturing in terms of the number of competitors," Jim Baumbick, Ford's Europe president, told Reuters

** As of last close, F stock up 2.1% YTD