Ford's Stock Surges After Report Of Talks With Google To Build Driverless Cars

Ford Motor Co.'s stock surged 1.5% in premarket trade Tuesday, after Automotive News reported that the auto maker was in talks with Alphabet Inc. to build the Internet giant's driverless cars. The report, which sourced someone with knowledge of the project, said the companies have been negotiating on a contract manufacturing deal "for a long time." Ford spokespeople were not immediately available for comment. Separately, Ford announced Tuesday that its 2015 patent applications included "a record number of inventions related to mobility for the company, including autonomous and connected vehicles wearable devices, eBikes, navigation and ride-sharing platforms." Alphabet board member Alan Mulally was chief executive officer of Ford from September 2006 through June 2014. Alphabet's stock was up 0.2% in premarket trade.