Early work would focus on a "highly automated driving" prototype which BMW said it planned to demonstrate this year. More extensive tests of this technology across lots of vehicles were planned for 2017, it added.
Achieving this, said BMW, would make it possible for fleets of unmanned vehicles to operate safely. This, it added, could spur the creation of novel ride-sharing services in urban areas or lead to the creation of long-distance delivery services that employ robot-driven trucks.