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As it develops its plans for the mobility of the future, the BMW Group is increasingly focusing on co-operations to help make next-level electrification technology more widely available to customers by the start of the coming decade.
BMW said: "Cooperation between automakers to share know-how and resources is important as the automotive industry tackles the significant technological challenges of Autonomous driving, Connectivity, Electrification and Services (ACES)."
BMW and Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed they are joining forces to develop next generation electric drive units in a move that supports the advancement of electrification technologies necessary to transition to an ACES future.
Sharing technology
The automaker said: "BMW and JLR share the same strategic vision of environmentally-friendly and future-oriented electric drive technologies. The BMW Group brings long experience of developing and producing several generations of electric drive units in-house since it launched the pioneering i3 in 2013. Jaguar Land Rover has demonstrated its capability with this technology through the launch of the Jaguar I-Pace and its plug-in hybrid models"
BMW's most sophisticated electrified technology to date features an electric motor, transmission and power electronics in one housing. This electric motor does not require rare earths, enabling the automaker to reduce its dependence on their availability as it continues to broaden its range of electric models.
New iX3
Image: BMW
In 2019, BMW will introduce this electric drive unit, the fifth generation (“Gen 5”) of its eDrive technology, with the iX3 Sports Activity Vehicle. The Gen 5 electric drive unit will be the propulsion system which future Jaguar Land Rover models will be based on.
"The automotive industry is undergoing a steep transformation. We see collaboration as a key for success, also in the field of electrification. With Jaguar Land Rover, 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," said Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development.
Image: BMW
BMW, JLR partnership
The cooperation, says the German automaker, allows BMW and JLR to take advantage of cost efficiencies arising from shared development of future evolutions and production planning costs as well as economies of scale from joint purchasing.
A joint team of BMW and JLR experts located in Munich will be tasked with further developing the Gen 5 power units with production of the electric drivetrains to be undertaken by each partner in their own manufacturing facilities.
Future of BMW car technology?
BMW said: "The development of multiple new technologies is required for the company to meet customer and regulatory requirements around the world, which often vary by market. This means that the BMW Group will continue to improve its combustion engines, while also pushing forward the e-mobility strategy with both battery-electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids and investing in new technologies such as fuel–cell powertrains."
