Daimler and BMW Team Up for Self-Driving Cars
Giancarlo Perlas July 7, 2019
Daimler just established a partnership with BMW to develop technologies for self-driving cars. The team up is expected to produce a new vehicle series in 2024.
The automakers signed an agreement to mark the start of their cooperation on July 4. The two aim to jointly develop next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and automated parking. These include sensors, joint data center for information storage, administration and processing, and the development of functions and software.
Two companies are expected to expand their cooperation to higher levels of automation in urban and city settings. The non-exclusive nature of the negotiations also allows the entry of other OEMs and technology partners.
The main goal of the joint venture is to speed up the launch of self-driving vehicles. Each company will then integrate the new tech in their signature cars.
Around 1,200 specialists will be working in the project. The personnel will be distributed among the key facilities of Mercedes-Benz and BMW such as the Mercedes-Benz Technology Center in Sindelfingen, Daimler Testing Center in Immendingen, and the BMW Group Autonomous Driving Campus in Unterschleissheim.
Daimler and BMW are the latest companies to pool their resources at a time of low-profit margins. The new partnership was announced last February but the two have been working together as far as 2014 when they announced their plan to develop a standardized wireless inductive charging system for electric vehicles.
