Toyota and BMW to join forces to make eco-friendly cars?

Toyota Prius Plug-in Hybrid Concept

Just recently we’ve seen Volkswagen and Suzuki come together and then parting ways before their relationship could even mature. Now according to Nikkie, Toyota and BMW are thinking of joining forces. The partnership will allow both auto giants to share technology which will help both the brands in the future. The new deal will allow Toyota access to BMW’s diesel engines while, BMW will benefit from Toyota’s know-how of hybrid technology.

However, Toyota has refused to comment on this at the moment and has rubbished the claims saying that the report is based on mere speculation. What the “speculative” report suggests is that BMW will provide Toyota with its 2.0 litre diesel engines which could be featured in mid-sized Toyota cars in Europe. If these reports are true, this will be the second time Toyota has tied up with a manufacturer. The Japanese car maker had earlier partnered with Ford and so has BMW who have signed an agreement with PSA Peugeot Citroen Group for hybrid-tech.

BMW i8 Concept

Europe has a big potential for diesel-hybrids in the future. As it is, out of the total number of cars sold in the region 60 percent of them constitute diesel powered cars. Toyota hasn’t quite managed to attain growth in European markets unlike in the United States where Toyota hybrids have gained popularity. The latest deal will allow Toyota to penetrate the market even further. On the other hand BMW will profit from Toyota’s know-how of hybrids.

That said, the market for diesel power is growing by the day and is expected to further gain popularity. BMW has been looking into various other eco-friendly options which include the new i-brand cars. The BMW i3 and i8 are two concepts that the German car maker might launch by 2015. The very first prototypes of the i8 Concept used petrol-hybrid and diesel hybrid powertrains.

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