#Partnership

This story probably would have made you laugh a few years ago. It would have seemed unthinkable, impossibile even. All the same, BMW is working with Hyundai to produce engines.

Fleet Forum manages vehicle fleets for foreign aids and charitable organizations, such as Red Cross and the UN World Food Programme, and will take the Leaf EVs from Nissan and distribute them among five of their charities.

A few years ago, Italian auto giant Fiat was very close to partnering up with General Motors. However, that deal went sour at the last minute and a few years after that, Fiat bought a big chunk of Chrysler in its quest to have a large slice of the American market.

German car firm BMW is well known for its technological innovations, and the company won’t be caught resting on its laurels.

General Motors and PSA Peugeot Citroën inked a deal yesterday that will see the companies partnering to further their interests in Europe.

According to Reuters, General Motors and BMW are jumping into bed over fuel cells. GM is already established as a leader in the technology, though they are staying tight-lipped about the partnership according to Autoblog.

The soap opera between Suzuki and Volkswagen has been ongoing for almost a year and now the Japanese automaker is looking to back out. Suzuki wants to buy back all the 19.9% of its shares that VW currently owns and that if the German automaker does not comply, Suzuki will seek mediation.

In the world of motorsports, it’s nearly impossible for a new team to come out of the box and be competitive. So what is a novice group that is looking for success to do? Simple, partner with one of the most successful teams in the sport.

A public disagreement between Volkswagen and Suzuki in early September left the Japanese automaker wanting to end its partnership, but that might not happen. In a news release Monday, the company said it “will retain its stake in Suzuki Motor Corp. unchanged.”

Now according to sources, the union has broken before it even started, citing money issues. If the deal had stayed intact, Aston Martin would have built the next generation models of the Maybach 57 and 62. In return, Aston Martin would have benefited from Mercedes-Benz‘s hybrid technology, the 4.6-liter twin-turbo V8 and platforms for the 2012 M-class and 2013 S-class.

In 2009, Volkswagen, in its ever growing quest to become the largest automaker in the world, bought 20% of Suzuki for $2.5-billion. The partnership would have given VW insight into Suzuki’s small-car technology, a segment the Japanese auto-maker is very successful at in Japan. Suzuki on the other hand would have gained valuable knowledge on hybrid technology. It looked like a win-win for both sides, but things have been far from ideal between these two companies.

It seems every time the company starts production, something will cause the production line to stop, whether its money related or parts supply related, and often both.