Munich. 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.
Cooperation between car manufacturers 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).
After three years of Strategy NUMBER ONE NEXT, the BMW
Group remains firmly on track, having established a strong position as
one of the world’s top providers of e-mobility. The BMW Group is
leading the global premium market with the largest portfolio of
electrified vehicles and the biggest market share among traditional
luxury rivals.
Highly-integrated electric drive train
The BMW Group and Jaguar Land Rover today 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.
The BMW Group and Jaguar Land Rover 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 BMW 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.
The BMW Group’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 BMW Group to reduce its dependence on their availability
as it continues to systematically broaden its range of electrified models.
Starting next year, the BMW Group will introduce this electric
drive unit, the fifth generation (“Gen 5”) of its eDrive technology,
with the BMW iX3 Sports Activity Vehicle. The Gen 5 electric drive
unit will be the propulsion system upon which subsequent evolutions
launched together with Jaguar Land Rover will be based.
“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.
The cooperation allows the BMW Group and Jaguar Land Rover 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 Group and Jaguar Land Rover 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. Both companies will
seek to adhere to their own brand-specific propositions in any project.
Technology openness
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.
If you have any queries, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Andreas Cremer, Corporate Communications
andreas.cremer@bmwgroup.de,
Telephone:
+49 89 382-12816
Mathias Schmidt, Head of Corporate and Culture Communications
mathias.m.schmidt@bmwgroup.com,
Telephone:
+49 89 382-24544
Media website: www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email:
presse@bmwgroup.com
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW
Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of
automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and
mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 30
production and assembly facilities in 14 countries; the company has a
global sales network in more than 140 countries.
In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles
and more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in
the financial year 2018 was € 9.815 billion on revenues amounting to
€ 97.480 billion. As of 31 December 2018, the BMW Group had a
workforce of 134,682 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established
ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain,
comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to
conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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