BMW and Mercedes-Benz, a division of Daimler, have put their joint autonomous driving development on hold following a review of the technology and agreed to concentrate on individual existing development paths.
The companies said they could return to development at a later data, which may include working with current or new partners.
The reason the companies gave was that the expense involved in creating a shared technology platform — as well as current business and economic conditions — was not right for successful implementation of self-driving technology.
While the joint self-driving program will go on hiatus, Daimler and BMW will continue to work together on other automotive ventures.
This includes the HERE initiative, which both companies along with Audi AG acquired in 2015. In 2018, BMW and Daimler merged their mobility services into a joint venture in order to make the business model successful and sustainable as well as grow the technology to scale.
