DETROIT — As Ford Motor Co. has tried to downplay its ongoing talks with Volkswagen Group, VW CEO Herbert Diess keeps upping the ante.
Besides the potential for cooperating on commercial vehicles and sharing platforms for electric vehicles and pickups, Diess last week revealed that VW is eyeing access to Ford’s U.S. manufacturing footprint, too.
Since June, VW and Ford have been exploring a strategic alliance that could alter the global automotive landscape. Ford is looking to shed money-losing operations and streamline its work force, and sharing costs on redundant operations with VW would help speed that overhaul. VW, in turn, wants to increase its U.S. production and could use the help of an automaker well-versed in building the type of rugged SUVs and pickups that American buyers demand.
More at Automotive News
