"I anticipate that the automobile manufacturers will increase their collaboration and their partnership on developing the technology for even more fuel-efficient vehicles," he said. "It's a kind of natural thing for all of us to do, to accelerate the development of the technologies."
In most cases, if senior executives are talking about it this much then it’s highly likely that it will happen. The two companies have already signed a licensing agreement that allows Ford to use Toyota’s own hybrid patents, and Mulally added in the interview that he “looks forward to regular exchanges with the Toyota leadership team."