Volkswagen AG, Ford To Explore Strategic Alliance To Extend Capabilities, Strengthen Competitiveness, Serve Customers

June 20, 2018 by Ford

Volkswagen AG, Ford to Explore Strategic Alliance to Extend Capabilities, Strengthen Competitiveness, Better Serve Customers

•Volkswagen AG and Ford are exploring a strategic alliance

•The companies are investigating several joint projects – including joint development of a range of commercial vehicles to better serve the evolving needs of customers globally

•Potential projects aim to strengthen each company's competitiveness; the companies will share updates as talks progress

•VW and Ford said any strategic alliance would not involve equity arrangements, including cross ownership stakes

WOLFSBURG, Germany, and DEARBORN, Mich., USA, June 19, 2018 – Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Company today announce they 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 exploring potential projects across a number of areas – including developing a range of commercial vehicles together to better serve the evolving needs of customers. The potential alliance would not involve equity arrangements, including cross ownership stakes.

'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.'

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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.