Mercedes-Benz and BMW have announced their intention to cooperate in EV platform R&D. If the parties indeed reach an agreement, their mutual financial gain is estimated at €7 billion, if not more.
The two car manufacturers want to start things off by inventing new chassis designs for compact and mid-sized electrified/all-electric cars. Later on, the list may expand to incorporate full-size sedans/saloons and SUVs. Analysts say both companies will be able to save over €7,000,000,000 on R&D working together like that.
That said, the final (i.e., binding) agreement has not been signed yet, and the possibility remains that it will never be signed, so calling it a done deal would be inappropriate.
On a side note, Mercedes-Benz and BMW already run a few joint R&D projects. These include self-driving car tech, driver aids, and intelligent/AI-assisted services.
Photo: carscoops.com