BMW Group and Daimler AG sign contract to co-develop autonomous technology

-    BMW Group and Daimler AG (parent company of Mercedes-Benz) have signed a long term contract for autonomous development. 

-    The initial goal is to develop technologies for driver assistance systems, highly automated driving on highways, and automated parking (all up to SAE Level 4).

Two German giants – BMW Group and Daimler AG – have joined forces in developing autonomous driving technologies. The representative of the two companies planned a collaboration earlier this year and now an official agreement for long-term strategic cooperation has been signed. 

The joint venture will focus on co-development of next-generation technologies for driver assistance systems, automated driving on highways and automated parking (all to SAE Level 4). In addition, further talks are planned to extend the cooperation to higher levels of automation in urban areas and city centres. 

A key aim of this cooperation is to speed up the market introduction of the technology. By 2024, both the companies hope to have integrated the autonomous tech in their respective series production models independently. The cooperation will see more than 1,200 specialists working together at locations including the Mercedes-Benz Technology Centre (MTC) in Sindelfingen, the Daimler Testing and Technology Centre in Immendingen and the BMW Group Autonomous Driving Campus in Unterschleissheim, near Munich. Apart from that, the joint efforts will also focus on developing a scalable architecture for driver assistance systems. This would include the development of high-end sensors, as well as a joint data centre for data storage, administration and processing, and the development of functions and software.

What’s more, this non-exclusive cooperation is also open to other OEMs, car makers and technology partners, which can be made available under license.