The two automakers have signed an agreement to jointly develop electric and autonomous vehicles. Ford will make pickups under both brands around the world and large commercial vans in Europe, while Volkswagen will build smaller vans. (Reuters)

Talking point: The partnership is the latest example of automakers making big changes to their business models in response to the disruptive potential of self-driving cars—although tech companies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas have been playing down expectations —and growing demand for zero-emissions vehicles. Ford and Volkswagen said working together made sense because of the high cost of developing new technology. General Motors (GM) has taken a different approach, closing down factories producing existing models as part of a plan to launch 20 new battery-powered vehicles by 2023. Meanwhile, its plan to close its Oshawa, Ont. plant “has not changed,” but the company plans to continue manufacturing in St. Catharines and Ingersoll, Ont., Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains said after meeting with GM CEO Mary Barra at the Detroit Auto Show yesterday.