BMW and Baidu end cooperation on self-driving cars

BMW and Baidu, a Chinese internet giant, have announced that they will no longer work together. Both companies worked on self-driving cars. Baidu has now found another partner, but what BMW will do is still unknown.

During an internet conference in China, Baidu said in a response to Reuters that it will now partner with Lincoln, a car brand in Ford’s portfolio, to develop self-driving cars. The Chinese search giant says it is still on track to release its first car with self-driving capabilities in 2018. It also plans to set up a ‘wide rollout’ in 2021.

BMW responded in a response that it would go its own way because it differs in views with Baidu, although it was not made clear where the differences of opinion lie. The German car manufacturer also did not indicate whether it will cooperate with other companies. Earlier this year, BMW entered into a partnership with Intel to set up an ‘open platform’ for self-driving cars. The development of new smart software should lead to the first self-driving car in 2021.

The latest technology jointly developed by BMW and Baidu is a system that can automatically overtake other road users. Also, despite the termination of the collaboration, both companies will continue to work on high-resolution maps for use by self-driving cars.