Ford Wants Chinese Cars In America To Work Like American Cars In China

Happy Monday! It’s February 17, 2026, and this is The Morning Shift — your daily roundup of the top automotive headlines from around the world, in one place. This is where you’ll find the most important stories that are shaping the way Americans drive and get around.

In this morning’s edition, we’re looking at Ford’s hopes for how Chinese automakers will move into the United States, and the seemingly eternal merger talks between Nissan, Honda, and Mitsubishi. We’ll also look at the return of Stellantis diesels in Europe, and Volkswagen’s plan to massively cut costs. 

For years, foreign automakers looking to enter China had to form joint ventures with existing Chinese corporations. Now Chinese automakers are looking to come to the U.S., and Ford is proposing that exact same setup in reverse. From Bloomberg:

Ford Motor Co.’s top executive spoke to senior Trump administration officials about a potential framework in which Chinese automakers could build cars in America while offering some protection for domestic companies, according to people familiar with the discussions.

The idea discussed by Ford Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley and Trump cabinet members last month involved Chinese carmakers partnering with US companies through joint ventures in which the American company holds a controlling stake, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the discussions were private. The ventures would be structured so that both the Chinese and US partners would share profits and technology in the JV, the people said.

No decision has been made on the matter and the discussion was characterized by the people as informal and preliminary. Such a setup would be a mirror image of what China required of western automakers three decades ago when they had to partner with Chinese carmakers in order to set up factories in that country.

The Trump administration reportedly didn’t love the proposal, saying it would be tough to get lawmakers on board, but when has that ever stopped the Trump administration before? This is an administration of asking forgiveness rather than permission. 

Remember when Nissan and Honda were going to merge, before the inclusion of Mitsubishi messed up the deal? Well, the companies have still been in talks since then, hoping to make something of the wrecked agreement. This time, Mitsubishi has a seat at the table. From Automotive News:

A year after Honda, Nissan and Mitsubishi stunned the industry with a pre-Valentine’s breakup of their megamerger, the three are still talking about partnerships.

They haven’t found much common ground.

At earnings announcements this month, executives said the Japanese automakers are exploring tie-ups in several areas, including the joint supply of products for the North American market, electrified drivetrain technology and the development of automotive software systems.

Nissan CEO Ivan Espinosa sounded optimistic, calling discussions “constructive and positive.”

But concrete projects remain mostly elusive, two years after the carmakers floated a framework for cooperation and a year after their planned merger blew up in acrimony.

This all seems like the sort of stuff that Nissan and Honda should have worked out before announcing a merger, rather than after, but I get that you have to make big splashy announcements for the shareholders. Surely this was a better plan than just doing it the quiet, normal way. 

Well, the shared goal of a habitable biosphere was nice while it lasted. Stellantis is throwing in the towel on EVs, and that means bringing back V8s in the U.S  and diesels in Europe. From Reuters: 

Fiat-to-Jeep owner Stellantis (STLAM.MI), opens new tab is quietly resurrecting diesel versions of at least seven car and passenger van models across Europe as it retreats from electric vehicles, according to a review of dealer websites and company statements to Reuters.

In a previously unreported strategic shift, world No. 4 automaker Stellantis began in late 2025 to reintroduce diesel versions in Europe for models ranging from various passenger vans to the Peugeot 308 and premium DS No. 4 hatchback.

EV sales have lagged expectations, and the shift comes as Europe waters down emissions targets that would allow combustion engines to stay around for longer.

Glad we fixed the ozone layer and the acid rain issue, but it sounds like we’ll be dealing with them again soon enough. 

Volkswagen is losing money to U.S. tariffs, so it’s doing what any automaker would do in response to sudden costs: Cut spending elsewhere. The company wants to shave off a full fifth of its spending by 2028. From Reuters:

Volkswagen (VOWG.DE), opens new tab plans to cut costs by 20% across all brands by the end of 2028, Manager Magazin reported on Monday, as the German automaker looks to shore up its finances to counter the impact of higher costs, a tough Chinese market and U.S. tariffs.

CEO Oliver Blume and finance chief Arno Antlitz presented a “massive” savings plan at a closed-door meeting with the company’s top executives in Berlin in mid-January, the business publication added.

A company spokesperson said Volkswagen launched a programme across all brands and entities three years ago and has since achieved savings in the double-digit billion-euro range.

The programme has enabled the group to offset geopolitical headwinds such as U.S. tariffs, the spokesperson said.

This includes plenty of job cuts for the company, so all this American success — paid for by Americans, of course, not the exporters abroad — comes at the cost of success worldwide. 

Now, I’m no big-city lawyer, but this sounds an awful lot like “kidnapped” to me. 

I’ve been playing a lot of the game “Cairn” recently, when I can’t get out to the actual climbing gym, and I’m completely hooked. Heights aren’t my favorite in real life, and this climbing game is realistic enough that I still feel that anxiety from my desk chair. I had to sit in bed reading last night after playing, before I could go to sleep, just to let my nerves settle.