BMW and Daimler are eyeing a partnership for self-driving car tech, report says
The two German luxury car manufacturers could work together to offset some of the costs associated with developing new advanced technology.
BMW and Daimler recently got approval to launch their joint car sharing program, and if things go well, they could soon be sharing even more according to a report published Wednesday by Bloomberg.
As the nature of the car industry changes, particularly in Germany where there have been a series of cataclysmic shakeups and scandals, so too must the strategies used by even the largest manufacturers. This is why BMW and Mercedes-Benz's parent company Daimler are considering teaming up on everything from electric car development to platform sharing and autonomous car technology.
According to Bloomberg's report, the sharing of technology would be limited to things that aren't brand specific, so don't expect to see iDrive in your next E-Class. Although, conversations between the longtime rivals are still in the very early stages and nothing is set in stone.
This move, while definitely a big deal, isn't without precedent. Volkswagen and Ford are working on a similar deal in order to help defray some of the astronomical costs of the development of self-driving cars . This is particularly important when you compare the traditional carmakers to the seemingly bottomless pockets of the Silicon Valley developers with which they are competing.
