BMW and Baidu join forces to promote the development of autonomous driving ecosystem

On July 10, Baidu and BMW jointly announced that they have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for BMW to join the Apollo autonomous driving platform developed by Baidu. The MoU marks the beginning of a new partnership between BMW and Baidu in the field of autonomous driving. The two companies hope to work together to provide Chinese consumers with a safe, convenient and intelligent mobility experience. The partnership was officially announced during Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to Germany and his meeting with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Baidu President Zhang Yaqin said, "BMW Group and Baidu have a long history of cooperation in promoting autonomous driving technology. Over the years, the two sides have maintained a good cooperative relationship and actively explored the field of smart cars. BMW's vision for the future of autonomous driving is consistent with ours. We hope to deepen cooperation, bring smart and comfortable product experience to Chinese consumers, and are committed to accelerating the development of autonomous driving technology that suits the Chinese market."

Klaus Fröhlich, member of the BMW Board of Management responsible for Research and Development, said: “A close connection between the automotive industry and technology leaders is key to our success in the field of autonomous driving. We are striving to develop consistent technical standards worldwide to overcome the current regional differences in implementation speed and regulatory frameworks. Through the cooperation between the BMW Group and Baidu, we can significantly accelerate the combination of specific requirements and technical means to make the vision of autonomous driving a reality for Chinese consumers in the near future.”

The BMW Group is developing an autonomous driving platform with technical solutions covering L3, L4/L5 (fully autonomous driving level) and advanced driver assistance systems (L2 level). BMW is developing this scalable autonomous driving solution together with technology and OEM partners, who contribute knowledge, resources and intellectual property assets.

Apollo is an open platform that provides comprehensive, secure and reliable solutions that support all major features and functions of self-driving cars. Since its launch in July 2017, Apollo has gathered 118 partners in the global automotive and technology industries. Apollo is committed to enabling developers and partners to accelerate the pace of innovation through open capabilities and shared resources, and its success is based on this foundation.

BMW and Baidu recently launched a collaboration in the field of connected cars, and this announcement marks the cooperation between BMW and Baidu in promoting the autonomous driving ecosystem.

As a winner of Toutiao's Qingyun Plan and Baijiahao's Bai+ Plan, the 2019 Baidu Digital Author of the Year, the Baijiahao's Most Popular Author in the Technology Field, the 2019 Sogou Technology and Culture Author, and the 2021 Baijiahao Quarterly Influential Creator, he has won many awards, including the 2013 Sohu Best Industry Media Person, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Beijing Third Place, the 2015 Guangmang Experience Award, the 2015 China New Media Entrepreneurship Competition Finals Third Place, and the 2018 Baidu Dynamic Annual Powerful Celebrity.