BMW, Mercedes-Benz maker join forces to pursue self-driving cars

BMW and the maker of Mercedes-Benz have reached a deal to collaborate on the development of self-driving car technology.

The partnership between BMW and Daimler is a tectonic shift for the rival German luxury automakers, reflecting their need to collaborate on extremely expensive and challenging autonomous vehicle systems.

The companies had already formed a joint venture to collaborate on "mobility services," such as car sharing and ride-hailing services.

Taken together, these moves suggest that you could one day share a ride in a car jointly produced by two companies whose history of fierce competition is akin to the rivalry between American automakers Ford and General Motors.

Their latest deal is aimed at delivering a self-driving car system by the "mid-2020s."

At first, they'll focus on automated driving on highways and advanced parking features.

"Combining the key expertise of our two companies will boost our innovative strength and speed up the spread of this technology," said BMW executive Klaus Fröhlich.

Both companies have been working on self-driving systems for years. Daimler also has a partnership with supplier Bosch that will involve the launch of a self-driving car pilot in Silicon Valley in 2019.

Follow USA TODAY reporter Nathan Bomey on Twitter @NathanBomey.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: BMW, Mercedes-Benz maker join forces to pursue self-driving cars