Alleanza Daimlerchrysler-Volkswagen

Articolo da forbes.com

VW, DaimlerChrysler in talks on cooperation projects - Pischetsrieder UPDATE

10.24.2005, 06:49 AM

(Adding further details on tie-ups with DaimlerChrysler and Porsche)

FRANKFURT (AFX) - Volkswagen AG and DaimlerChrysler AG are now in talks to identify cooperation projects, including one in which VW will supply diesel engines for light vans, VW CEO Bernd Pischetsrieder said in a pre-release of an interview with the weekly magazine Auto Motor Sport's Wednesday edition.

He also said the two companies have since 2001 been discussing a basic agreement they could draw up on closer cooperation.

'We have been talking about it since 2001. Now the strategy teams from both sides are talking about a list of different projects,' he said.

Both teams are currently discussing a van project, which could be completed this year.

Pischetsrieder said an existing joint venture to make VW's LT Transporter van and DaimlerChrysler's Sprinter light van is an example of a successful project between the two.

'The next step (of this light van tie-up) will be VW supplying around 120,000 diesel engines annually to DaimlerChrysler. Like I said, details of future cooperation are being discussed,' he said.

German media reports have also previously said VW plans to make its Minivan based on a Chrysler production platform.

In the interview, Pischetsrieder said tie-ups are also possible in VW's Polo model and Chrysler's Dodge brand.

Cooperation on cars in the premium sector, in which VW unit Audi is active, will not be possible because DaimlerChrysler's luxury Mercedes-Benz marque competes with Audi, he added.

Pischetsrieder's comments were the first since the end of September, when DaimlerChrysler revealed VW had approached DaimlerChrysler several times to take a stake in VW but that the talks were never concrete.

Asked about other cooperation partners in addition to Porsche and DaimlerChrysler, Pischetsrieder said: 'The two are enough.'

Porsche, which has several joint venture projects with VW, revealed it acquired an 18.53 pct stake in VW last month.

Commenting on the tie-up with Porsche, Pischetsrieder said another possible joint venture with VW could be in electronic systems. 'We will discuss details in a cooperation agreement,' he said.

Dopo le indiscrezioni di settembre Pischetsrieder rilasciando un' intervista dichiara che sono in corso trattative tra le due aziende riguardanti cooperazioni tecniche. La Chrysler costruirebbe sulla base del Dodge Caravan un minivan per Volkswagen e Volkswagen fornirebbe il pianale della Polo per la nuova Forfour e per una Dodge di piccola taglia. Attualmente la Chrysler non può sviluppare una vettura di segmento B perchè negli Usa i volumi non sono abbastanza alti per giustificare l' investimento mentre Vw ha problemi di sovracapacità a Pamplona dove produce la Polo. Il minivan per Volkswagen sarà uno dei 4 modelli nuovi concepiti da Bernhard soprattutto per il mercato statunintense. Gli altri sono il suv medio, la Passat Coupè e la nuova Scirocco