Toyota and BMW have joined forces to develop a  fuel cell technology sports car.  The joint venture between both companies seemed unlikely but using each others ideas could produce a winner.
BMW chairman Norbert Reithofer and Toyota president Akio Toyoda took to the stage today in the German automaker’s hometown to announce a strategic partnership between the two car companies, with plans to jointly develop fuel cell technology, electric vehicle architectures and an all-new sports car.
To the casual observer, this may come across as one of the most unlikely automotive tie-ups in years, but scratch beneath the surface and the BMW/Toyota alliance makes more sense than you’d think.
This past March, the initial seed was planted, with BMW agreeing to supply 1.6- and 2.0-liter diesel engines for Toyota’s European offerings, along with the two automakers collaborating on the development of next-generation lithium-ion battery cells.
Today, that alliance has been taken two steps further, with BMW and Toyota agreeing to work on a fuel cell system – something both automakers have toyed with in the past with varying levels of success – and the continued expansion of both automakers’ lightweight technology initiatives.
More intriguing is the announcement that BMW and Toyota are partnering up to develop a new sports car, although details on exactly what form it will take (and what badge will be mounted on the boot) are still cloaked in a shroud of mystery.
The partnership is very much in line with what president Toyoda has intimated in the past.
Toyoda’s focus on upping the excitement quotient at the Japanese automaker has been well documented, despite Toyota continuing to sell the automotive equivalents of dishwashers and clothes dryers. But the recent introduction of the Toyota FT86 – imported to the States as the Scion FR-S – aims to change that, and it’s the product of another joint venture Toyota entered into with Subaru.
The FR-S, combined with the Lexus LFA, which Toyoda raced at the Nürburgring 24 Hour race, is further proof that Toyoda is intent on bringing more enthusiast-oriented products to market, and this latest partnership with BMW takes that stance even further.
On the EV front, BMW is well on its way to bringing a fully electric vehicle to market in the form of the i3, due out late next year. But Toyota’s electric initiatives – partially bolstered by its partnership with Tesla on the RAV4 EV – have been much more conservative, despite the success of its range of Prius hybridvehicles.
Collaborating on both lithium-ion batteries and lightweight vehicle platforms is a clear indication that Toyota is getting ready to bring a spate of electrically powered products to market, and with BMW having a hand in development, there’s a solid chance that Toyota won’t just bring another electric appliance into the world – it could be developing an EV that stirs the enthusiasts’ souls while playing to their eco-consciousness.
