BMW and JLR partner on EV development

Jaguar Land Rover and BMW have agreed to pool resources to develop electric vehicles.

The two companies will share research and production planning, as well as joint procurement in the supply chain. Engineers from both companies will be work together at a Munich research base to create the new electric drive units (EDU), with the two businesses each building the new products at their respective factories. In JLR's case this will be at its engine plant in Wolverhampton.

Nick Rogers, engineering director at JLR, said, 'The transition to electric cars represents the greatest technological shift in the automotive industry in a generation. The pace of change and consumer interest in electrified vehicles is gathering real momentum. It's essential we work across industry to advance the technologies required to deliver this exciting future.

'It was clear from discussions with BMW Group that both companies' requirements for next generation EDUs to support this transition have significant overlap making for a mutually beneficial collaboration.'

Klaus Fröhlich, BMW board member responsible for development, added, 'The automotive industry is undergoing a steep transformation. We see collaboration as a key for success, also in the field of electrification.

'With JLR, we found a partner whose requirements for the future generation of electric drive units significantly match ours. Together, we have the opportunity to cater more effectively for customer needs by shortening development time and bringing vehicles and state-of-the-art technologies more rapidly to market.'