On December 16, BMW announced a strategic upgrade in China. BMW will uphold the principle of "China First", give priority to the needs of the Chinese market in the development of new products, and continuously strengthen the co-creation of win-win results with Chinese partners. By 2025, 1/4 of the BMW Group's sales in the Chinese market will be pure electric vehicles. It is reported that the "new generation" models have a completely redesigned IT and software architecture, a new generation of high-performance electric drive systems and batteries, and a new sustainable concept throughout the vehicle life cycle. This also means that 2025 will be an important node in BMW's strategic transformation.
At present, the BMW Group has built the largest R&D and digital system in China outside of Germany, with a team of more than 1,650 people, including around 600 software developers. This state of "taking China as home" will continue to advance. The first thing to increase is the electrification product offensive.
In 2021, the BMW iX3 is expected to sell up to 20,000 units. In 2022, the BMW brand will present five pure electric models to Chinese users, including the innovative BMW iX, the innovative BMW i4, and the pure electric BMW 3 Series produced in Shenyang. In addition, a pure electric flagship model will also be officially unveiled next year. By the end of 2023, the BMW Group will offer around 13 pure electric products in the Chinese market.
While joining the investment in electrification products, BMW will strengthen its partnership with outstanding domestic battery companies, energy companies and high-tech enterprises, jointly develop the upstream and downstream industrial chain of green electric mobility, and enhance its comprehensive strength in electric vehicle research and development, production and service. In 2017, the joint venture BMW Brilliance was the first to establish a power battery center among high-end car brands, and completed the second phase of the project in 2020, with a total production of more than 100,000 power batteries so far. By the end of 2021, 360,000 public charging piles will be networked by BMW.
At the same time, a service system around new energy vehicles has also been established. At present, more than 500 BMW has completed BMW i business certification in about 600 dealer outlets nationwide. Next year, BMW will work with dealers to pilot the "BMW i Experience Store" in the city center.
Overall, the BMW Group's Strategic Upgrade in China can be described by a string of "simple" numbers: "1" refers to the "China First" principle, "2" refers to both BMW and MINI brands to be rooted in China, "3" refers to the firm transformation along the three directions of electrification, digitalization and sustainability, "4" is the four R&D and digital bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing, "5" refers to the 5 BMW pure electric models that will be presented to Chinese customers in 2022, "2025" Representing the upcoming "new generation" models in 2025, "200 million" and "1.5" represent the BMW Group's carbon reduction targets to 2030 and the commitment to the 1.5 degree temperature control target of the Paris Agreement, respectively.
Peter, BMW Group's Director of Global Finance, announced: "In 2022, the BMW Group will welcome the opening of three new or upgraded plants in Shenyang and Zhangjiagang, and put into production the second BMW pure electric vehicle in Shenyang, the Pure Electric 3 Series, further enhancing China's position as one of the bmw group's three major new energy vehicle production bases in the world." ”
[Reporter] Wei Hongquan
【Author】 Wei Hongquan
【Source】 Southern Press Media Group South + client