BMW wants a stake in SGL Carbon, already one of its strategic partners and the leading carbon-based product maker, the weekly Der Spiegel reported on Sunday.
“We have a fundamental interest in SGL Carbon,” a senior BMW executive told the magazine, according to AFP. It was not clear how high a stake BMW might be taking, but if it had more than 20% it would effectively control the company. Billionaire Susanne Klatten, the heiress to the family controlling BMW, already holds 29%, Der Spiegel said.
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In January, BMW and SGL Carbon opened a joint venture in the United States in which they invested US$100m in a high tech plant to produce elements for BMW vehicles.
In February, Volkswagen took an 8% stake in SGL Carbon. “If the price is right, we will increase our stake,” a Volkswagen executive told Der Spiegel.
Carmakers are taking an increasing interest in carbon fibre technology because of the combination of its strength and lightness. Based in Wiesbaden, in western Germany, SGL Carbon employs over 6,000 people.
