The Germans and the British have agreed to join forces in order to create a greener and safer world of automobiles. Specifically, it’s BMW from Munich and Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) from Coventry that have announced a collaboration to co-engineer next-generation electric drive units (EDUs). The partnership will be aiming towards the advancement of technology in the fields of autonomous driving, connectivity, electrification and shared services (ACES).

As we all know, the automotive industry is in a transformative phase. On a global scale, efforts are being made to shift from internal combustion engines to all-electric power-plants which, if the electricity is harnessed via non-polluting methods, will have a positive impact on the environment. Additionally, the safety aspect is also being addressed with billions being fed towards vehicle-to-x connectivity and autonomous driving technologies. Lastly, to move about in the most efficient manner, shared mobility is being given a push as well.

Through this collaboration, BMW and JLR will enable each other to take advantage of efficiencies arising from shared research and development, production planning and economies of scale from joint procurement across the supply chain. As per the agreement, engineers from both automobile manufacturers will engineer EDUs with both partners honing the systems to deliver specific features required for their respective range of models. The EDUs will be produced by BMW and JLR in their own production plants.

BMW Group has been in the electrification game longer than the Coventry-based carmaker. The Germans launched their first electrified model, the i3, in 2013. JLR, on the other hand, has been gaining fame from the industry as well. Its first and currently the only pure EV, the I-Pace, has won accolades from around the globe. Apart from that, the British also make plug-in hybrid models, such as the Range Rover P400e.