BMW and Tesla Cozy Up to Each Other Even More

2015 BMW i8 (Credit: BMW)

Most people by now know that BMW and Tesla have become pretty good friends, which has in turn led to Daimler, the owner of Mercedes, and Toyota selling their interests in the California-based electric carmaker. Now Elon Musk is saying that the two companies are working together on potentially working together on developing lightweight materials and advanced batteries, as reported by German media outlet Der Spiegel.

BMW has been a pioneer in using carbon fiber on more than just exotic supercars. The lightweight yet incredibly strong material has been leaking throughout the company’s entire lineup of cars, allowing owners to enjoy the stronger performance that comes from a lower curbweight. Tesla, on the other hand, is one the verge of revolutionizing battery manufacturing and technology, thanks to the Gigafactory that is being constructed in Nevada.

During the interview with Der Spiegel, Musk also talked about BMW and Tesla possibly collaborating on vehicle charging technology. The length it takes to charge an electric vehicle has been a sticking point for the broader adoption of vehicles like the BMW i3 and Tesla Model S.

It seems that Tesla might be getting serious about moving beyond the first Gigafactory, possibly even establishing other battery manufacturing plants outside of the United States. Musk mentioned that he thinks the company will have such a facility set up in Germany within six years’ time. Partnering with BMW would help the automaker set up such an operation, allowing for more electric cars to be sold in Europe and the surrounding region.

Despite some people fearing that the growing relationship with BMW would chase off other car companies, Daimler has said it will continue collaborating with Tesla. Exactly what the future partnership will look like and lead to is anyone’s guess at this point. Even the details of any collaborative work with BMW haven’t been set in stone, but it looks like some big changes are in store for Tesla in the near future.