Hyperdrive
BMW Is On Verge of Adding Automakers to Self-Driving Consortium
- High research costs, tricky technology encourages partnerships
- German company expects to announce new members early next year
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BMW AG, long an advocate of collaboration among rival manufacturers in the race toward self-driving cars, is in talks with at least two peers about joining its automated-driving group and expects to announce new members in the next three to four months.
Companies that initially tried to go it alone are realizing the immense research costs and daunting technological challenges and are deciding to partner up, Klaus Froehlich, BMW’s head of development, said in an interview at the Los Angeles Auto Show last week. BMW is currently talking with two or three big carmakers about joining the consortium, he added.