BMW and Mercedes-Benz are arch-rivals of the highest order, but it appears that the two German car companies will soon be forced to work closer together as they face the ‘mobility’ challenges of the future.
Although nothing official has been announced or commented upon as yet, inside sources have told
that the two companies are exploring the possibility of sharing platforms, batteries and autonomous vehicle technologies.
BMW and Mercedes are both feeling the pinch of a changing world and according to
, both parent companies have cut their profit targets for this year.
The future automotive landscape is one where traditional car companies have to compete with tech giants such as Apple and Uber, with autonomous driving and ride sharing set to disrupt the scene.
BMW and Mercedes have already purchased digital mapping company HERE Technologies and recently combined their car-sharing services, Car2Go an DriveNow.
Sharing platforms and technologies would save money, but would it dilute the flavour of the two brands? The good news, according Automotive News Europe, is that the pair would not share technologies that are brand specific and we’d like to think that extends to engineering intricacies too. And styling, of course, would remain a completely separate affair.