Jaguar Land Rover rumoured to be working on new engine deal with BMW
Report suggests firms could be about to agree a deal that would see the British manufacturer use German-supplied engines
Jaguar Land Rover and BMW could be about to agree a deal which would see the British firm use the German manufacturer’s engines in future vehicles.
That’s according to Autocar, with the publication citing a source ‘with knowledge of recent high-level discussions between the two car makers’.
It would be an extension of an existing agreement between the two firms that will see them collaborate on the development of future electric vehicle technology. Autocar says this new deal will see BMW supply JLR with in-line four- and six-cylinder units ‘both with and without electrically-assisted hybrid functions’.
It goes on to suggest such a move would allow JLR to reduce its current investment in petrol, diesel and hybrid powertrains and shift its resources to focus on fully-electric vehicle technology.
Speaking on the original EV agreement between the two firms, Klaus Fröhlich, BMW board member for research and development, said: “The automotive industry is undergoing a steep transformation. We see collaboration as a key for success, also in the field of electrification.
“With Jaguar Land Rover, we found a partner whose requirements for the future generation of electric drive units significantly match ours. Together, we have the opportunity to cater more effectively for customer needs by shortening development time and bringing vehicles and state-of-the-art technologies more rapidly to market.”
