Ford, Volkswagen are set to cooperate on self-driving and electric cars

Volkswagen sold more vehicles than any other carmaker in the world last year

Ford Motor Company and Volkswagen are expected to sign an agreement as soon as next week to share the cost of developing autonomous vehicles and producing electric cars, according to two people with knowledge of the discussions.

The agreement, likely to be approved by Volkswagen’s supervisory board on Thursday, would deepen an existing alliance between the companies to produce pickup trucks, but would be much more ambitious. It would be the latest example of how longtime rivals are joining forces during a period of extraordinary ferment in the auto industry.

Battery-powered, self-driving cars have the potential to eliminate tailpipe emissions