BMW and Toyota joint battery research
Already partnered up on diesel development, auto industry's odd couple now turn to Li-ion batteriesTwo unlikely partners have signed an agreement to develop lithium-ion batteries together.
BMW needs lithium-ion batteries for its i-branded eco vehicles; Toyota will gradually introduce lithium-ion batteries to its range of hybrid-drive vehicles, beginning with the Prius v. Of the two companies, Toyota seems further down the track of lithium-ion battery development.
The announcement of the agreement between the two companies post-dates the research itself, which has already begun, according to the press release issued by Toyota overnight. Both companies had previously signed a memorandum of understanding for a "mid-to-long-term" collaboration developing "environment-friendly vehicles and technologies". Under this MoU, TME (Toyota Motor Europe) will receive 1.6 and 2.0-litre diesel engines from BMW for production commencing 2014.
According to the press release, the two companies will concentrate their efforts on improving battery performance and capacity through materials technology for the cathodes, anodes and electrolytes. Since BMW is also committed to purchasing fuel cell technology from GM, the lithium-ion battery research should also benefit any future fuel-cell vehicle program at BMW.
The alliance formed by BMW and Toyota is symptomatic of car companies joining forces to defray the escalating costs of developing new technology, or just buy existing technology, as Mazda has done in purchasing a license to use Toyota's Hybrid Synergy Drive system.
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