BMW, Toyota finalize deal to co-develop fuel cells, sports car - Automobile News

Officially announced today at an event at Toyota's headquarters in Toyota City, Japan, the long-term partnership will see BMW and Toyota combining their existing fuel cell resources and knowledge to develop a complete fuel-cell vehicle system, including a fuel stack, hydrogen tank, motor and battery, by 2020.

Also planned is research into advanced battery technologies such as lithium-air batteries, as well as lightweight technologies : including reinforced composites like carbon fiber - for vehicle bodies.

Perhaps most intriguing is BMW and Toyota's decision to collaborate on a new sports car platform development project, which will begin with a feasibility study that's scheduled to conclude at the end of this year. While no further details have been officially announced just yet, it's possible that the project could follow in the footsteps of the Scion FR-S/ Subaru BRZ program and result in one sports car for each brand.

"It is just over a year since we signed our collaborative memorandum of understanding, and with each day as our relationship strengthens, we feel acutely that we are making steadfast progress," said Toyota president Akio Toyoda in a statement. "Now, we are entering the phase that promises the fruit. While placing importance on what we learn from the joint development, we will work hard together in reaching our common goal of making ever-better cars." /* @Himanshu 09-01-2013 New code to work with br tag, p tag and /n */ div.post-content1{ color: #000000; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 1.333em; margin-bottom: 16px; margin-top: 10px; } /* @Himanshu 09-01-2013 New code to work with br tag, p tag and /n */ div.post-content1 ul li { list-style:disc !important; margin-left:20px; color:#000000; } div.post-content1 ol li { list-style-type: decimal !important; margin-left:20px; color:#000000; } #editorial_graph ul li { list-style:none !important; margin-left:0px; }
Source: Leftlanenews