BMW May Deepen Relations with Tech Companies

BMW AG's new CEO Harald Krueger affirms his predecessor's interest in partnering with outside software companies and telecoms to help develop the company's next-generation vehicles.

Krueger tells Germany's Sueddeutsche Zeitung the key to such alliances will be mutual benefit and shared principles, notably about how to guarantee data security. "Both partners need to profit from the cooperation" for a lasting relationship, he adds.

BMW began preliminary talks with Apple Inc. earlier this year before former CEO Norbert Reithofer was elected chairman in May. Apple also has signaled interest in developing its own vehicle at about the same time.