Ford and Volkswagen call off joint Detroit appearance, delaying expected EV and self-driving alliance

DETROIT - The Detroit auto show was abuzz over what Ford and Volkswagen would announce Tuesday, after the car giants called off a joint appearance during which they were widely expected to announce an alliance. The two car giants have been in discussions for more than six months over a partnership to develop self-driving and electric technologies. But a source close to the talks said that they had so far only produced a deal over commercial vehicles. A highly anticipated announcement at America's premiere auto show in the Motor City was called off late Monday, and the two sides planned a conference call with reporters instead for the following morning. "We don't have enough details yet to go out in front of more than 500 journalists, so we decided to call it off," Ford spokesman Mark Truby said.