On December 9, in the 351st batch of new car declaration directories of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the pure electric version of the BMW 3 Series Li named "i3" was prominently listed. Eighteen years after the introduction of the E46 3 Series in 2003, the well-known Ashkenazi luxury sports sedan is about to open a new chapter in China with an electrified look.
In 18 years, the babies who fell to the ground, the BMW 3 series has also evolved for three generations in China. In 2003, when the two sides signed the cooperation agreement, no one may have expected that the "athletes" with blue sky and white cloud standards would be lengthened separately for Chinese consumers, nor could they imagine that the well-deserved star cars in the movie "No Thief in the World" could fly into thousands of households and become the top ten regular customers in the car sales list.
(In the movie "No Thief in the World", the beautiful shadow of Andy Lau and Rene Liu driving an E46 is a common memory of many Chinese film fans)
This is the 18 years of rapid development of Chinese society, the 18 years of the explosive growth of China's automobile market, and the 18 years of BMW and China's simultaneous development.
18 years, all the way
The year 2000 at the turn of the millennium is known as the "first year of China's family car", many Chinese families bought the first new car in their lives; then with the good news of China's accession to the WTO in 2001, many international leading models have also been introduced, and the Chinese car market, which was previously ruled by the "old three", has ushered in an era of blossoming flowers.
(On March 27, 2003, BMW Brilliance project was officially signed)
BMW may not have been the first car brand to cross the ocean in that era, but it must have been the one with the most crisp and neat action. In March 2003, BMW Brilliance officially signed a contract in Shenyang, the company was established in May, and the E46 generation 3 series 325i, which was remodeled in October, was discontinued.
(Small lace: the official name of this dark blue promoted by E46 in 2003 is "Orient Blue", which is really a fate in the dark)
In 2003, the E46 landed rapidly, and in 2005, the E90 was introduced synchronously, and the two generations of models caught up with the first wave of private car purchases; elite men and women who stepped on the tide of the times and became rich were finally able to choose an original classic sports car as a private car. To this day, their tight and balanced driving experience is still enjoyed by fans, and it is truly worthy of the title of the ultimate driving machine.
(In 2005, the E90 was introduced to China at the same time)
But BMW is not set in stone. On the F30 Generation 3 Series, which was launched in 2013, BMW made a bold decision: a long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series, code-named F35, tailored to the Chinese market. To this day, people can still recall the waves that this decision caused in the automotive circle, more excited than BMW itself, as if it were various auto media, they have asked: Is the extended 3 series still called the 3 series?
(The lengthened F35 was controversial in the early days of its launch)
In the face of controversy in the early stages of the listing, the market performance of the F35 is a silent testimony. The long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series, which takes into account the sense of sport and riding comfort, has become popular, winning the favor of thousands of middle-class families, and further consolidating the benchmark position of the 3 Series in the medium-sized luxury sedan market. BMW in order to break through the needs of Chinese consumers, providing a new choice in addition to the "standard answer", Blue Sky Baiyunbiao also took this opportunity to connect with more car owners, and the final result can be called a model for car companies and users to create a win-win situation.
The success of the F35 did not keep BMW from resting. The G28 series listed at the end of 2019 has once again improved in interior design and ride comfort, and the luxurious atmosphere in the car has taken a qualitative leap compared with the previous generation model, and the BMW 3 Series has become the number one in a mid-size luxury sedan that takes into account both sports and comfort. In the 2021 car sales list, the 3 series has repeatedly entered the top ten monthly sales, and it is worthy of becoming one of the favorite medium-sized luxury cars of Chinese consumers.
(G28 has entered the top ten of the car sales list for many times)
Next, the 3 Series is about to move towards the future of electrification. With the mid-term redesign of the current generation of 3 series, the pure electric 3 series Li named "i3" will be officially rolled off the production line in Shenyang next year. Stepping on the wave of sustainable development of the whole society, BMW is once again leading its peers, and the 3 Series will also become the first product in the German luxury medium-sized sedan to provide pure electric powertrain.
Looking back at the history of the localization of the 3 series, it is not difficult to see the traces of BMW and Chinese society advancing at the same frequency. This is the 18 years of China's economic take-off, but also the 18 years of consumer demand for car purchases and the gradual upgrading of consumption. BMW stepped on the tide of the times, synchronously introduced new technologies, customized for consumer needs, breakthrough innovation, provided High-quality products for Chinese consumers, and also made outstanding contributions to China's automotive industry.
That's why we're looking forward to BMW's future in China.
"Where's the next stop?"
BMW's future in China is much more than a pure electric 3 Series Li.
At BMW's 2022 "New Year Online Annual Meeting" on December 16, BMW summarized the brand's new "2025 China Strategy" with four words: "Align the corporate strategy with China's development goals, uphold the 'China first' principle, give priority to the needs of the Chinese market in new product development, and continuously strengthen the co-creation of win-win results with Chinese partners." ”
(Innovation BMW iX)
This means that BMW will establish a more complete R&D system in China, increase R&D investment, and launch a series of new products tailored to Chinese consumers.
After all, China has now become BMW's number one market in the world. After 18 years of growth, Shenyang has also become BMW's largest production base in the world, with more than 21,000 front-line employees, 13,000 new cars driving off the production line every week, and the total tax payment last year alone reached 38 billion yuan, which has effectively driven the local economic development.
(BMW Brilliance Shenyang Digital Factory)
Together, the R&D and digitalization bases in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing form BMW's largest R&D and digital system outside of Germany, tailoring products to the consumption habits of the Chinese market. It can be said that the demand of the Chinese market has been integrated into BMW and has gradually become an inseparable part of the DNA of this classic Ashkenazi luxury brand. BMW and Chinese society are advancing together at the same frequency, coordinated development and creating a win-win situation.
(BMW Shanghai R&D Center)
(BMW Beijing R&D Center)
The upcoming year 2022 will be the big year for BMW's products in China, and the BMW Group will launch 26 new products in China throughout the year, covering the BMW, BMW i, BMW M, MINI and motorcycle product lines. In addition to the pure electric 3 series Li mentioned above and the domestic long wheelbase version X5 announced at the same time, we will also usher in the latest family flagship seventh generation 7 series. In addition, market segments such as the 2 Series, 8 Series, and X7 will also usher in generations and upgrades.
In 2022, BMW will also present a pure electric product sequence consisting of five models for Chinese consumers. In addition to the mid-size luxury SUV iX3, which has already achieved good sales results, the innovative BMW iX and the domestic pure electric flagship SUV that have just announced the price, the innovative BMW i4 pure electric coupe and a pure electric flagship model that have been put on sale in Europe have joined the BMW family. These five models fully cover the market ranges that are most concerned by consumers, such as medium-sized luxury cars, medium-sized luxury SUVs, flagship cars, and flagship SUVs.
(Innovation BMW i4)
The first two BMW i exclusive experience stores will also take the lead in landing in Shenzhen and Beijing next year, providing users with customized test drives and life and leisure services.
(BMW i Exclusive Experience Store)
By the end of 2023, BMW plans to present about 13 pure electric products to the Chinese market to meet customers' pursuit of an environmentally friendly lifestyle; in 2025, one pure electric model will be in every four new BMW cars sold in China. In the same year, BMW's new pure electric platform called "New Generation" will also be launched, and the models under the new platform will have a new IT and software architecture, providing a new generation of electric drive power assembly, and the future potential is unlimited.
(Solar Wind Energy Integrated System at BMW Brilliance Shenyang Plant)
In addition to the fully electrified product range, the theme of carbon reduction runs through the entire life cycle of BMW cars. Since 2014, BMW Brilliance has released the "Sustainable Development Report" for eight consecutive years, and in 2021, it ranked first in the "Green Development Index of Automobile Enterprises" and won the honor of "National Green Demonstration Factory" for the fourth consecutive year, which is closely integrated with the national policy of sustainable development. By 2030, BMW's average full-life cycle carbon emissions will be reduced by 40% compared with 2019, reducing carbon emissions by 200 million tons. At the same time, BMW also adheres to its social responsibilities in China, pays attention to hot issues such as cultural protection, social development and environmental protection, and firmly gives back to Chinese society.
(Solar cell pack in BMW Brilliance's Shenyang plant)
End
Over the past 18 years, BMW has witnessed the rise of China's auto market, social changes and economic prosperity with more than 6 million Chinese car owners, and today, China has become a global leader in electric vehicles and a key driver of digitalization. With the release of the "2025 China Strategy", BMW will ride the tide of electrification to go further with China.
Looking back at BMW's history in China, the company has a forward-looking strategic plan and the courage to embrace innovation and self-breakthrough. After 18 years of deep cultivation, BMW has also carried out a comprehensive and in-depth production and R & D layout in China, full of stamina, which can be called a model of traditional car companies. With only four spring, summer, autumn and winter from 2025, what kind of new world can BMW, which adheres to the "China First", break out of a new world? Let's wait and see.