German auto manufacturer Daimler is soon set to enter a joint venture with auto parts manufacturer Robert Bosch for collectively producing and developing electric motors for all their electric vehicles in their European markets. With rising prices of fuels, many auto manufacturers have already entered the electric car market, with many partnering with other companies to also develop electric engines.
Daimler is one of the latest to join this bandwagon. According to a recent joint press release, both auto companies have signed a letter of intent. They have also begun negotiations for setting up a 50:50 partnership which ought to be completed by mid-2011.
Both the companies have come together to bundle their resources in accelerating the advancement of electric engines and for making accordant collaborations more accessible. They plan to commence production by the year 2012. Daimler had recently announced plans to reduce their average carbon dioxide emissions released from their passenger cars by 30% to 125gms per km by the year 2016 over its 2007 levels.
This new goal is an improvement on their previously proclaimed target of 140gms per km by the year 2012. According to rumours these electric engines are likely to be fitted in Smart electric vehicles and Mercedes Benz electric vehicles from next year onwards. The joint partnership is to take place out of two separate locations, one in the Hildesheim city in Northern Germany and the other in Stuttgart Germany.
So far Bosch is mostly committed in chassis electronics engineering, though they could also support the battery and electric motor part of this project.
