Two of the world’s biggest car groups, Daimler and BMW, are joining forces in a bid to work towards making autonomous technologies available by the mid 2020s.

The strategic partnership will see the likes of Mercedes-Benz, Mini and Rolls Royce all work towards developing Level 3 and Level 4 autonomy, which will enable automated driving on the road network once approved by governments.

“We have learned that the development of these systems is a bit like climbing a mountain,” said Michael Hafner, head of automated driving at Mercedes-Benz research.

“Taking the first few metres from the base station to the summit seems easy. But the closer you come to the goal, the thinner the air around you becomes, the more strength is required for each further step, and the more complex become the challenges you have to resolve.”

The cost of developing autonomous vehicle technology is proving to be a huge burden for motor companies keen to be at the forefront of what is seen to be the future of driving. The UK Government is backing developments with Jaguar Land Rover in this country, whilst Volkswagen and Ford formed an unlikely alliance to develop the technology.

The news comes in the week that Apple Inc announced that its own self-driving programme, Project Titan will see job losses of 190 employees.

Much like the recent growth of the electric car market, the trend for self-driving and automated systems is expected to from from $3bn in 2015 to $96bn in 2025.

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