New Name For VW's Truck Unit

[RoadwayR]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-volkswagen-trucks/volkswagen-truck-bus-to-be-renamed-traton-idUSKBN1JG1E9

I'll bet a spin-off is coming.

 

[kscarbel2]

VW Truck & Bus to Be Renamed Traton Group

Transport Topics  /  June 20, 2018

Volkswagen Truck & Bus announced it will rename itself Traton Group to further increase its independence from parent company Volkswagen AG and toward “capital market readiness” in preparation for a potential IPO by the unit.

Separately, Ford Motor Co. announced it is exploring a strategic alliance with Volkswagen AG regarding commercial vehicles — possibly for last-mile deliveries, an analyst said.

“The new name Traton is a major milestone on our road to become a global champion of the transportation industry,” Volkswagen Truck & Bus Group CEO Andreas Renschler said in a statement. “It will increase our attractiveness for new talents as well as for capital markets [that would help it sell stock or debt on its own].”

Volkswagen Truck & Bus’ brands include MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus and RIO. The name change is expected to be complete by the third quarter.

Also, granting the commercial vehicle unit more independence would help build confidence among investors that VW is considering deeper organizational changes, heralding more efficiencies in the wake of the diesel-emissions scandal, according to Bloomberg News.

Advocates of heavy-duty engines powered by diesel or natural gas are separately vying still for a share of the windfall directed at nitrogen oxide mitigation in all 50 states after judicial approval in 2016 of the federal government’s multibillion-dollar settlement with Volkswagen AG. At issue was years of excessive emissions from some of VW’s automotive vehicles.

Turning to Ford, “We are obviously in the early days [of talking with VW],” Ford spokesperson Jennifer Flake told Transport Topics, “Our [memorandum of understanding] covers conversations about potential collaborations across a number of areas. At this time, though, it is premature to share additional details.”

Commercial customers are changing like never before, VW spokeswoman Leslie Bothge told TT.

“Tapping and applying knowledge from both companies to better serve these customers makes sense,” Bothge said. “Many challenges are ahead of us, such as increasing competition, regulation and new trends, such as e-mobility, digitalization and more: Investments in the magnitude of several billion euros are required. We want to strengthen our competitiveness to master the challenges ahead of us in the most efficient way.”

An alliance by VW and Ford would not involve equity arrangements, including cross-ownership stakes. VW Truck & Bus owns about 17% of U.S. truck maker Navistar Inc.

“Both companies have strong and complementary positions in different commercial vehicle segments already,” said Thomas Sedran, head of Volkswagen Group Strategy. “To adapt to the challenging environment, it is of utmost importance to gain flexibility through alliances. This is a core element of our Volkswagen Group Strategy 2025.”

Automakers across the globe are exploring ways to share expenses for developing light commercial vehicles, including electrified models, as cities including Paris and Shanghai push to improve air quality. Ford CEO Jim Hackett has his company on a “fitness” campaign to cut $25.5 billion in costs and is seeking partners along the way, Bloomberg reported.

Ford has a strong presence in U.S. retail sales of Classes 2-3. It is the leading manufacturer of Class 5 trucks. It also has a strong position in Class 6 sales, notching the highest market share some months and not far behind in others.

“Ford is committed to improving our fitness as a business and leveraging adaptive business models — which include working with partners to improve our effectiveness and efficiency,” Jim Farley, Ford’s president of global markets, said in a statement. “This potential alliance with the Volkswagen Group is another example of how we can become more fit as a business while creating a winning global product portfolio and extending our capabilities.”

 

[kscarbel2]

Volkswagen Truck & Bus Renaming Itself Traton

Heavy Duty Trucking (HDT)  /  June 20, 2018

Volkswagen Truck & Bus has announced a new name, Traton Group, as it increases its independence and readies itself to raise funds for global expansion in commercial vehicles. Meanwhile, parent company Volkswagen AG is talking to Ford about developing a line of commercial vans.

The New Traton

Volkswagen Truck & Bus was created in 2015 to bundle its truck and bus brands under the umbrella of an independent legal entity. Earlier this year, the company voted to change the legal structure as part of a strategy to move toward “capital market readiness,” which could mean an IPO as an independent entity. Now, a name change.

“Since our foundation, we have grown together faster than expected,” said Andreas Renschler, CEO of Volkswagen Truck & Bus Group. “Traton provides us with more independence. It will further strengthen our group’s joint identity and uniqueness. The new name will also foster our visibility as the leading group for innovative transportation solutions. It will increase our attractiveness for new talents as well as for capital markets.”

The company’s truck brands – MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Caminhões e Ônibus, and RIO – will retain their own identities under the umbrella brand of Traton Group. The official name change is expected to be effective by the third quarter of the year.

The compay said Traton stands for:

• TRAnsformation of the ecosystem transport

• TRAnsportation

• TONnage

• TRAdition of its brands

• “Always 'ON' is the ultimate goal of our customers and our attitude in order to make everything possible for them,” the company said in the release.

Possible Volkswagen-Ford Partnership

Volkswagen AG and Ford Motor Company have signed a memorandum of understanding and are exploring a strategic alliance that among other things would include developing a range of commercial vehicles together “to better serve the evolving needs of customers.”

The potential alliance would not involve equity arrangements, including cross ownership stakes.

“Markets and customer demand are changing at an incredible speed,” said Thomas Sedran, head of Volkswagen Group strategy, in a joint news release. “Both companies have strong and complementary positions in different commercial vehicle segments already. To adapt to the challenging environment, it is of utmost importance to gain flexibility through alliances.”

It's not the first alliance Volkswagen has forged in its quest for global expansion. In 2016, VW and Navistar announced a wide-ranging alliance. Earler this year it announced an agreement with Hino.

[RoadwayR]

Key points:

"Not involving equity arrangements, including cross ownership stakes"

"Flexibility through alliances"

Anyone think Ford will sell their Brazilian truck operation or stake in Otosan to 'Traton' eventually? 

 

 

[Red Horse]

13 hours ago, RoadwayR said:

Key points:

"Not involving equity arrangements, including cross ownership stakes"

"Flexibility through alliances"

Anyone think Ford will sell their Brazilian truck operation or stake in Otosan to 'Traton' eventually? 

 

 

With Hackett at the controls I'm surprised that hasn't happened already.  As he continues to get bad press,  the usual "cure" for bad press is a new.."bold move", that "focuses on our core business"..Like "cars"-...er no- I mean SUVS and trucks.

Then again, does VW, (MAN, Scania) have a diesel that could be utilized in 650-750? 

How about it KSC???

By the way, who isn't in bed with VW now?  Is there anyone left?

[Maxidyne]

Ford's heading off in so many directions one suspects they don't even know where they're headed. For example, while they talk hybrids and electrics they're adding diesel options to the Transit Connect and F150. While they talk of just one body on frame truck platform the pilot builds of the Ranger have already begun with the Bronco to follow. While they talk of the Mustang being the sole remaining front longitudinal engine/rear drive unit body platform,  they just 'fessed up that the new 2020 Explorer will be rear drive by default with a 4WD option. And that's just Ford's confused vehicle business... They're buying more real estate while they still haven't sold the St.Paul Ford plant site. Is anybody actually running Ford?

[Red Horse]

3 minutes ago, Maxidyne said:

Ford's heading off in so many directions one suspects they don't even know where they're headed. For example, while they talk hybrids and electrics they're adding diesel options to the Transit Connect and F150. While they talk of just one body on frame truck platform the pilot builds of the Ranger have already begun with the Bronco to follow. While they talk of the Mustang being the sole remaining front longitudinal engine/rear drive unit body platform,  they just 'fessed up that the new 2020 Explorer will be rear drive by default with a 4WD option. And that's just Ford's confused vehicle business... They're buying more real estate while they still haven't sold the St.Paul Ford plant site. Is anybody actually running Ford?

Maxi_as to who is running Ford?  My guess is the financial press because they are the ones that print the horror stories or the glowing reports that make the stock go up or down.  In any case I'm thinking of moving to Detroit and getting into the remediation business-there has to be a fortune made in making that new purchase safe for all the  millennials that will be flocking to Ford to work in this beautiful building.

Oh- I thought St. Paul's closing was also related to the value of the property for "best use".  Guess the market changed?