Tesla wants to work with BMW on battery and charging technology

Tesla Motors is in negotiations with the German BMW. The carmakers are considering developing battery technology and charging point technology together. Tesla is also interested in the lightweight carbon fiber parts BMW builds.

The negotiations between the two companies are confirmed by Tesla CEO Elon Musk. In an interview with the German weekly Der Spiegel, Musk indicates that Tesla wants to open a battery factory in Germany. The company is also looking for a possible collaboration with BMW. Not only would Tesla and BMW want to jointly develop new battery technology for electric vehicles, the two companies also want to see whether they can develop charging points that can be used by various electric vehicles and hybrids.

Tesla, in turn, is said to be interested in the lightweight carbon fiber car parts that BMW is developing for its i3 electric and i8 hybrid models. BMW works for these parts, in particular the cage construction, together with the company SGL.

It is still unclear how far the negotiations have progressed; BMW declined to comment, Reuters reported. It is clear, however, that Tesla is trying to gain an increasingly solid base in Europe. It has also been working together with Mercedes Benz and the Japanese Toyota for some time.