BMW and Toyota partnership hit medium / long term

The official press conference that this memorandum of collaboration in research and development of environmentally friendly technologies, will be held at 15 hours (GMT) in Tokyo, but Auto Toad is in a position to forward all details of this partnership between BMW and Toyota.

The basis of this agreement of medium / long term it is very simple: BMW and Toyota agree to work together to develop environmentally friendly technologies for their cars of the future. This will include research and development of new lithium-ion batteries and it is also established that the BMW diesel engines will provide 1.6 and 2.0 liters to Toyota Motor Europe.

This is the basis of the agreement signed today at the Tokyo Motor Show between the two constructors, a memorandum of understanding for a partnership of medium / long-term research and development of the next generation of environmentally friendly technologies.

As mentioned, this partnership will extend also to research and development of new lithium-ion batteries that could be used in electric and hybrid models, this memorandum is expected to extend this collaboration to other areas that are identified by both builders and advantageous to both parties.

This partnership will bring the diesel engines of 1.6 liters and 2.0 for models sold by Toyota Motor Europe from 2014, which shows a reversal in the brand strategy in Europe. We recall that in 2009, Akio Toyoda, Toyota's president, said the company's focus on Europe would be the hybrid models, away from the diesel that Toyota does not get lost in the crowd read, other builders with diesel ranges. In fact, at that time, the president of Toyota ended up with plans to develop a block 1.6-liter turbodiesel in partnership with Isuzu, Toyota brand owned by 5.9 percent.

This part of the agreement with BMW, which sees the German diesel engines under the hood of Toyota from 2014, is the assumption of the error committed with the stated bet on hybrids. The continuing loss of market share in Europe is the biggest proof of that, because the market of the Old Continent is dominated by more than half of its volume for diesel cars that use less fuel and emit less CO2 than petrol models, and much more interesting in using the hybrids. And beads made, the hybrids have not been above 2% market share in Europe, which is too little to allow a bet as deliberate as it did in hybrid Toyota and its Lexus counterpart.

Anyway, with this agreement, Toyota reverses its strategy from 2014 and will offer an expanded product range, and these two years to develop, which will translate in a frantic period of the new Japanese brand.

At the time of signing of the memorandum, Norbert Reithofer, chairman of the board of BMW AG said "Toyota is the market leader in providing environmentally friendly technologies usable in mass-produced products and the BMW Group is the world's most innovative and Premium between sustainable producers. Let us now join forces to further develop environmentally friendly technologies and expand our technology leadership in their respective segments. Provide Toyota with our dynamic and efficient diesel engines is more important in a planned expansion of our business from sales of engines and powertrains. "

On the side of Toyota, Akio Toyoda, president of Toyota Motor Company, said that "it is a great joy for us to enter into this partnership for medium / long term with BMW, a company with its very own culture and a rich history of success as manufacturer in Europe, a brand that makes cars fun to drive. In the spirit of contributing to the future development of automobile industry and society, both companies will bring this agreement to its comprehensive know-how '- starting with environmental concerns - to build the best cars ever. "