BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corporation have announced today that the two car giants will enter a mid-to-long-term collaboration on next-generation environment-friendly automotive technologies.
Under the agreement they will partake in collaborative research in the field of next-generation lithium-ion battery technologies.
In addition to this, BMW has agreed to supply its award winning 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter diesel engines to Toyota’s European arm from 2014. The BMW 2-litre twin-turbo diesel power plant won the international engine of the year award in the 1.8-litre to 2-litre category last year. Toyota plans to further expand its European automotive lineup and sales of fuel-sipping, low CO2-emission diesel powered vehicles.
[ad]
Marking the announcement, Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said: “Toyota is the leading provider of environment-friendly series technology in the volume segment and the BMW Group is the most innovative and sustainable manufacturer of premium automobiles. We are now joining forces to further develop environment-friendly technologies and to expand our innovation leadership in each of our segments. Supplying Toyota with our fuel efficient and dynamic diesel engines represents another important step in the planned expansion of our sales activities for engines and powertrain systems.”
Representing TMC, President Akio Toyoda said: “It is a great joy and a thrill to enter into this mid-to-long-term collaborative relationship with BMW, a company with its own culture and history from its many years of car manufacturing in Europe, and a company that makes cars that are fun to drive. In the spirit of contributing to furthering the development of the auto industry and society, both companies will bring their wide-ranging knowledge – starting with that concerning environmental technologies – to the table and make ever-better cars.”
This agreement will help both manufacturers further expand their green car credentials and drive further collaborative development. Good news for all, Hypermilers included.
