Tesla Motors and BMW might do business together in the future, as the electric car maker's CEO Elon Musk said in a recent interview that the two companies have had discussions about collaborating on batteries and parts for such vehicles.
Musk complimented BMW's use of carbon fibre for producing reinforced car body parts, such as those for the i3 electric hatchback and the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car, calling it "interesting" and "relatively cost efficient," according to Reuters. These parts are made through the German automaker's joint venture with materials supplier SGL.
"We are talking about whether we can collaborate in battery technology or charging stations," Musk said.
The interview follows five months after executives from both Tesla and BMW met to talk about building charging stations that can be used for different electric vehicles.
While neither company has responded to a request for comment, a Tesla spokeswoman said the discussions are still informal, and that the companies have only had casual conversations, PC Magazine reported.
Further details about the collaboration have yet to be revealed.
Tesla is currently looking to build a $5 billion Gigafactory designed to produce 500,000 lithium-ion batteries annually over the next six years. The facility will be the first large-scale Gigfactory to be constructed, and will provide 6,500 jobs in Germany.
Tesla will begin construction later this year, and the factory is expected to begin operating in 2017.
