Tesla has rightly earned its industry disruptor status. The Tesla Model S arrived back in 2012 and immediately caused alarm for established luxury performance brands, specifically Audi, BMW, Porsche, and Mercedes-Benz. The more recent arrival of the less expensive Tesla Model 3, despite its troubled launch, has played a major role in securing the company's newfound financial security. The Model 3 is the German brands' new target and yet they've actually placed an order for a few models - and not just for reverse engineering purposes.

According to the German language publication Handelsblatt, BMW and Daimler's ride-sharing joint-venture, Free Now (formerly called MyTaxi), has just placed an order for 60 Teslas. Headquartered in Hamburg, Free Now has operations in Europe and Latin America. It also rents out electric scooters alongside its taxi-hailing business.