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BMW Sees Its Future Shift to Ultimate Self-Driving Machine

  • Carmaker sees people getting around in `robots on wheels'
  • Staying relevant in self-driving world is key challenge
The wheel rim of a BMW X-series vehicle is pictured on the assembly line at the BMW Manufacturing Co. assembly plant in Greer, South Carolina, U.S. on Thursday, May 28, 2015. Photographer : Luke Sharrett / Bloomberg
Photographer: Luke Sharrett/Bloomberg
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BMW AG, which became the world’s largest maker of luxury cars by focusing on Autobahn thrills, is shifting gears to automated driving as urbanization and changing attitudes toward cars redefine transportation.

Upscale vehicles in the future will involve “liberating drivers through automation,” the company said Monday in a statement issued as part of the celebration of its 100th anniversary. While the introduction of vehicles that can drive themselves means repositioning the carmaker, the shift also entails “a major opportunity for revolutionizing mobility.”