BMW hasn’t exactly been keeping its autonomous driving program a secret but now the German automaker is pulling out all the stops. Not long before the brand’s 100th birthday, the company revealed plans to completely overhaul the research and development department. In order to develop and compete with tech giants in coming years, BMW is setting up to compete with cars of the future.
In total, 30,000 people work in the research and development division of BMW. Of those, just one-fifth are software engineers. As cars continue to advance in this technological world, BMW is looking to more than double that number.
“If I need to get to a ratio of 50:50 within five years, I need to get manpower equivalent to another 15,000 to 20,000 people from partnerships with suppliers and elsewhere,” said Klaus Froehlich, a member of BMW’s Board of Management.
With the cars of the future focusing on tech more than appearance, that leaves many automakers pushing to advance their own autonomous vehicle programs. The end result will, hopefully, be a safer world to drive in.
We here at BMW of Springfield can’t wait to see what incredible developments will come in the future!
Comments