BMW boss rumoured to be considering JLR swoop

Oliver Zipse, the boss of BMW, could be about to take a significant stake in Jaguar Land Rover, according to reports.

The Telegraph says that Zipse didn’t deny that JLR, which lost £3.6bn in the year to March, was in his sights.

Zipse said: “We have made no decision on it – I cannot comment on something that is not decided.”

The two automotive giants are already working together to develop an electric car in the face of competition from the likes of Tesla. The companies are pooling R&D spending and Zipse said this was not the end of the collaboration.

He said: “Co-operation and working together is the new normal in the industry.

“We are not only working on electric drive trains and internal combustion engines with JLR, but other components.”

Neither BMW nor JLR have commented on the claims.

Jaguar Land Rover employs around 4,500 staff at its manufacturing plant in Halewood, South Liverpool.

The multi-award-winning plant currently builds the top-selling Range Rover Evoque and Land Rover Discovery Sport models.