BMW, Mercedes end self-driving car collaboration

Image courtesy of BMW and Mercedes

It looks like we won't be seeing what self-driving vehicle BMW and Mercedes could've developed together. The two automakers have called quits on their ongoing partnership to develop automated driving technology. BMW and Mercedes say the split is "mutual and amicable." They are open to renewing the partnership in the future.

According to a joint statement, the decision was reached after considering several factors. One is that developing a shared autonomous vehicle platform became a more complex and expensive undertaking than they expected. Another is the agreement delayed how quickly they can have joint discussions between their in-house experts as well as communicate with suppliers regarding product roadmaps.

Engadget points out how BMW and Mercedes may have been too ambitious with their goals. When they announced the partnership in July 2019, they were hoping to sell Level 4 autonomous cars by 2024. These self-driving vehicles are supposed to handle freeway driving and parking on their own at that level. With how development in the segment is going, that timeline seemed too optimistic.

This collaboration isn't the only project the two carmakers are working on. BMW and Mercedes' parent company Daimler, together with Audi, bought Nokia's Here maps platform back in 2015 for €2.8 billion (around CA$4.3 billion)