BMW, Toyota Hook Up for Work on Sports Car, Fuel Cells
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- BMW and Toyota announced plans to jointly develop a sports-car platform to be completed by the end of 2013 and a fuel-cell system for vehicles by 2020.
- The two companies also said they are to jointly develop lightweight technologies for vehicle bodies using reinforced composites, to use on the new sports-car platform and other BMW and Toyota vehicles.
- The two will also work on a future lithium-air battery, a new chemistry said to be better than current lithium-ion batteries.
MUNICH, Germany/TOKYO — BMW and Toyota on Thursday announced plans to jointly develop a sports-car platform to be completed by the end of 2013 and a fuel-cell system for vehicles by 2020.
The two companies also said they are to jointly develop lightweight technologies for vehicle bodies using cutting-edge materials such as reinforced composites, to use on the new sports-car platform and other BMW and Toyota vehicles.
The two will also work on a future lithium-air battery, a new chemistry said to be better than current lithium-ion batteries.
The BMW and Toyota hydrogen fuel-cell collaboration includes the development of a total system, including a fuel-cell stack, hydrogen tank, motor and battery. The two also said they are jointly developing codes and standards "for the hydrogen infrastructure which are necessary for the popularization of fuel-cell vehicles."
BMW and Toyota first announced ties in December 2011. Last June, the two signed a memorandum of understanding that outlined the areas of collaboration.
"We are making steadfast progress," said Akio Toyoda, Toyota president, in a statement. "Now, we are entering the phase that promises the fruit."
Edmunds says: BMW and Toyota strengthen their technical ties with this latest announcement, with the promise that we'll get a look at their future sports-car platform by year's end.
