Combining the two companies in whichever form could at best help the two automotive giants gain access to each other's markets or, under the sort of more limited alliance that is currently being entered into, at least to each other's technologies.

BBC: Does the Peugeot GM alliance make sense?

Another rationalization under consideration: combining the oil and gas operation with PreussenElektra to form a single, integrated energy operation.

FORBES: Ulrich Hartmann's second act