BMW Group and Toyota “Charge Up”

First reported back in December of 2011, auto giants BMW and Toyota have finalized their partnership to research next-generation batteries for electric cars. The two companies today inked an agreement confirming the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed at the beginning of December, which will also see BMW supply Toyota’s European arm with efficient 1.6 litre and 2.0 litre diesel engines from 2014.

“The research project being undertaken under the agreement is focusing on increasing the performance and capacity of lithium-ion battery cells through the use of new combinations of materials for cathodes, anodes and electrolytes,” the two automakers said in a joint statement.

Along with the research on lithium-ion batteries, Toyota and BMW have worked out a plan for a mid-to-long-term collaboration on next-generation environment-friendly vehicles and technologies.

Source Businessgreen.com