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BMW Dismisses Rumors of Partnership With Tesla

(Credit: BMW)

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BMW Dismisses Rumors of Partnership With Tesla

2015 BMW i8

2015 BMW i8 (Credit: BMW)

We recently reported that BMW and Tesla are cozying up to each other as the two automakers seemingly were poised to leverage their respective strengths in a budding new partnership. Now BMW is saying that the whole thing was just posturing on the part of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors, according to an article recently published in the German magazine Wirtschafts Woche. In other words, the rivalry between the two luxury automakers is still very much on.

Even more interesting is the fact that BMW officials state the company isn’t planning on buying stock in Tesla. That’s crushing news considering Daimler and Toyota both have made moves to offload Tesla stock. At the time it was believed by many industry analysts that the stock selloff was in anticipation of BMW scooping up stock in the California automaker in a move to become best of buds with Tesla. Now analysts are reassess those assumptions.

That means there won’t be a massive battery production facility going up in Germany, at least not one jointly run by Tesla and the Bavarians. While it’s possible that a Gigafactory like the one in Nevada could be built in Europe, for now it’s looking like less of a possibility in the foreseeable future. Also, BMWs won’t be using the same powertrain as the Model S and Model X. BMW has said that it might be willing to sell carbon fiber to Musk, because after all it wouldn’t turn down the opportunity to make some cash off its rival.

So why exactly did Elon Musk make a big deal about a burgeoning partnership with BMW? According to the anonymous officials inside BMW, the whole thing was a ploy set up my Musk to boost the electric car company’s public image. They went on to say that Tesla was needing some positive news after things went south with Toyota and Daimler. So far Musk hasn’t responded to the accusations, but it looks like the two companies are still on a collision course when it comes to fighting for electric car supremacy.

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