Several new developments in early 2019 provide a glimpse into the next wave of automakers' accelerating preparation for the mainstreaming of electric vehicles.
Driving the news: Ford and Volkswagen are on the cusp of announcing a major partnership at next week's Detroit Auto Show that includes EVs and autonomous vehicles, Reuters first reported.
The potentially big Ford and VW announcement is aimed partly at managing the costs of EV and AV tech, various reports point out.
Why it matters: Both auto giants have ambitious EV plans — including Ford’s goal of launching 16 fully electric models in the next few years, while VW has been pivoting to EVs in the wave of its diesel scandal.
My thought bubble: Both companies are trying to gain ground on Tesla, as well as some legacy automakers in the EV space, so collaboration makes sense as they try and close the gap.
What they're saying: "If VW is able to use Ford’s development in autonomy and if Ford is able to use Volkswagen’s development in electrification, it’s not just the cost savings that is important — and that would be big — but it's getting products to the market much, much faster," auto expert John McElroy tells the Detroit Free Press.
What's next: Look for more EV-related announcements around next week's auto show.
Go deeper: Building trust in automated vehicles is a two-way street
Editor's note: This piece was corrected to show Reuters reported VW is spearheading a $300 billion spend on EVs (not $300 million).
