What might happen if Volkswagen brought a pickup back to the United States? This is the Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak concept, a hypothetical answer to that question, the company said earlier this year.
What might happen if Volkswagen brought a pickup back to the United States? This is the Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak concept, a hypothetical answer to that question, the company said earlier this year.
What might happen if Volkswagen brought a pickup back to the United States? This is the Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak concept, a hypothetical answer to that question, the company said earlier this year.
What might happen if Volkswagen brought a pickup back to the United States? This is the Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak concept, a hypothetical answer to that question, the company said earlier this year.
What might happen if Volkswagen brought a pickup back to the United States? This is the Volkswagen Atlas Tanoak concept, a hypothetical answer to that question, the company said earlier this year.

Ford, VW get together to serve ‘evolving’ CV market

June 22, 2018
Volkswagen and Ford have signed an MOU and are “exploring a strategic alliance” designed to strengthen each company’s competitiveness.

Global powerhouse Volkswagen AG has made another deal with a major U.S.-based manufacturer to extend its clout in the commercial vehicle market.

Volkswagen and Ford Motor Company have signed a Memorandum of Understanding and are “exploring a strategic alliance” designed to strengthen each company’s competitiveness and better serve customers globally.

The companies are looking into potential projects across a number of areas – including developing a range of commercial vehicles, according to the June 19 statement. The potential alliance would not involve equity arrangements, including cross ownership stakes.

The announcement comes a couple of months after Ford revealed plans to phase out its “traditional Ford sedans” in North America, to better focus on its more profitable trucks and SUVs. Volkswagen, meanwhile, continues to work with Navistar to deliver VW-built powertrain options to Navistar-branded trucks starting in 2019. Volkswagen acquired a 16.6% stake in Navistar last September. The Volkswagen Truck & Bus unit, led by former Daimler Trucks executive Andreas Renschler, has just rebranded as TRATON Group, a move designed to increase the group’s “independence” and “capital market readiness,” the company said. It's brands include MAN, Scania and Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus,

“Ford is committed to improving our fitness as a business and leveraging adaptive business models – which include working with partners to improve our effectiveness and efficiency,” said Jim Farley, Ford’s president of Global Markets. “This potential alliance with the Volkswagen Group is another example of how we can become more fit as a business, while creating a winning global product portfolio and extending our capabilities.

“We look forward to exploring with the Volkswagen team in the days ahead how we might work together to better serve the evolving needs of commercial vehicle customers – and much more.”

Dr. Thomas Sedran, Head of Volkswagen Group Strategy said, “Markets and customer demand are changing at an incredible speed. Both companies have strong and complementary positions in different commercial vehicle segments already. To adapt to the challenging environment, it is of utmost importance to gain flexibility through alliances. This is a core element of our Volkswagen Group Strategy 2025. The potential industrial cooperation with Ford is seen as an opportunity to improve competitiveness of both companies globally.”

The companies will provide updates and additional details as talks progress, according to the press statement.

About the Author

TBB Staff