VW, Ford may unveil deeper alliance


              FILE - In this June 28, 2009, file photo, the company logo shines off the grille of a 2009 Fusion at a Ford dealership in Centennial, Colo. Ford is adding more than 816,000 vehicles in North America to the growing Takata air bag inflator recall. The company says the latest callback covers the 2005-2009 and 2012 Mustang and the 2006-2009 and 2012 Ford Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr and Lincoln MKZ. Also included are the 2007-2009 Ford Ranger and Edge, the 2007-2009 Lincoln MKX, the 2006-2009 Mercury Milan and the 2005 and 2006 Ford GT. All have front passenger air bag inflators made by Takata that can explode with too much force and spew metal shrapnel.  (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
FILE - In this June 28, 2009, file photo, the company logo shines off the grille of a 2009 Fusion at a Ford dealership in Centennial, Colo. Ford is adding more than 816,000 vehicles in North America to the growing Takata air bag inflator recall. The company says the latest callback covers the 2005-2009 and 2012 Mustang and the 2006-2009 and 2012 Ford Fusion, Lincoln Zephyr and Lincoln MKZ. Also included are the 2007-2009 Ford Ranger and Edge, the 2007-2009 Lincoln MKX, the 2006-2009 Mercury Milan and the 2005 and 2006 Ford GT. All have front passenger air bag inflators made by Takata that can explode with too much force and spew metal shrapnel. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Co. will unveil a deeper alliance next week that goes beyond cooperating in commercial vehicles, Reuters reported today.

The scope of the alliance is still being determined, the report said, citing unnamed sources.

Last month, Volkswagen CEO Herbert Diess told reporters after a White House meeting that the German automaker could use some of Ford's factory capacity to produce vehicles.

The framework of the alliance would include pooling resources in autonomous technology and VW investing in that Ford business, and Ford licensing Volkswagen's MEB electric vehicles platform, the Reuters report said

VW officials have talked about gaining access to Ford's Transit commercial van and the Ranger midsize pickup truck, as well as building their vehicles in Ford plants.

An announcement could come as soon as next week's Detroit auto show, said the report.

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