Autonomous plans: VW, BMW and Daimler hold talks on cooperation in self-driving cars

Within a few short years, a new wave of electric and self-driving vehicles will transform personal transportation as we know it. But for carmakers, these technologies will demand a staggering level of investment. They may not like the cost, but surviving through the radical new automotive era requires it. With the global economy cooling, German carmakers and suppliers seem set to embark on unprecedented collaboration, in the hope of sharing some of these development and production costs. BMW, Volkswagen and Daimler, the maker of Mercedes-Benz cars, are in talks on a formal collaboration to work on key technologies and industry standards for autonomous driving. Major parts suppliers, including Bosch, Continental and ZF, are also known to be taking part.