"Home in China" is the theme of BMW's 2022 "New Year Online Annual Meeting", sincere and emotional.
This aptly describes the BMW Group's recently announced strategic upgrade in China. The strategy emphasizes "China first", that is, in the development of new products, BMW will give priority to the needs of the Chinese market and continuously strengthen the co-creation of win-win results with Chinese partners. Looking ahead to 2025, the BMW Group will accelerate electrification, digitalization and sustainable development in China, keeping pace with China.
"China first", BMW's statement stems from the importance of the position in the Chinese market, as of the third quarter of 2021, bmw group every three cars will be delivered to Chinese customers, that is, 1/3 of the market in China; more based on the BMW group's consensus - "China's trends, will lead the direction of the world", which is also the view shared by Dr. Peter, global financial director of BMW Group, at the online annual meeting on December 16.
Yes, new energy vehicles are a strategic choice for the high-quality development of China's automotive industry. China's "14th Five-Year Plan" and the outline of long-term goals for 2035 clearly put forward the goal of "accelerating digital development and building a digital China". At present, China has become the global leader in electric vehicles, the key driving force of digital development, standing at the crossroads of fighting for the future, BMW Group does not hesitate to "maintain synergy between corporate strategy and China's development goals", which is a forward-looking choice.
What is important is that the BMW Group and its Chinese counterparts do not only stay in the production of new cars, but are based on the whole industry chain, "moving" in localization and innovation, and truly "taking China as their home".
Electrification is accelerating, and the zhangjiagang plant in Jiangsu Province is under construction
The "China First" principle is clearly visible in BMW's electrification layout. In every link, you can hear the voice of "Chinese users" and see the figure of "Chinese partners".
BMW electric vehicles that are integrated into the expectations of Chinese users will follow. 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 in China, including the innovative BMW iX, the innovative BMW i4, the pure electric BMW 3 series, and a pure electric luxury car. By the end of 2023, BMW's pure electric products in China will reach about 13 models...
Innovative BMW i4
BMW's new plant for electric vehicles is under construction. It is reported that the joint venture between BMW Group and Great Wall Motor in Zhangjiagang, Jiangsu Province, has entered the right track, and plant construction and product research and development have been promoted as scheduled.
In the upstream and downstream industrial chain of electric mobility, BMW continues to deepen cooperation with outstanding domestic battery companies, energy companies and high-tech enterprises. In 2017, BMW Brilliance was the first to establish a power battery center among luxury brands, and has produced more than 100,000 power batteries. By the end of 2021, 360,000 public charging piles will be networked by BMW.
The development of BMW's future models will give priority to listening to the voices of Chinese users. It is reported that the BMW Group will release a "new generation" model in 2025, with a completely re-updated IT and software architecture, high-performance electric drive systems and batteries, and a new sustainable concept throughout the entire vehicle life cycle. In its development process, it will put the needs of the Chinese market in the first place.
Digitally active, expanding the innovative layout in Nanjing
BMW's digital innovation in China is groundbreaking throughout R&D, production, vehicle intelligence and digital services.
BMW's four major R&D and digital bases in China have been laid out. In 2021, BMW's digital layout will be expanded to Nanjing, including BMW ArcherMind Information Technology Co., Ltd., focusing on vehicle-machine software development and enterprise IT system development, and Lingyue Nanjing Branch, providing agile and efficient IT R&D and technical solution services for the production and service of BMW operating enterprises in China. The earliest Beijing R&D center was responsible for vehicle engineering, testing and certification; the Shanghai R&D center focused on digital products, software development and connections with the local digital ecosystem and innovation circle, the local BMW Group DesignWorks design team specialized in the aesthetic needs of young users; the Shenyang R&D center focused on the development of local electric vehicles and the development of domestic models after mass production.
From top to bottom, they are: Beijing R&D Center, Shenyang R&D Center, Shanghai R&D Center
With the help of external innovation forces, BMW is also exploring new models of cooperation with Chinese technology companies. Previously, BMW joined hands with Alibaba to create the "Alibaba Cloud Innovation Center - BMW Startup Garage Joint Innovation Base" to empower Chinese science and technology innovation enterprises and promote BMW's digital transformation; in addition, BMW and Tencent also "together" to open digital cooperation.
In the production field, BMW Brilliance's digital factory has become a model of "Industry 4.0", and new technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence have been widely used, taking the lead in achieving full coverage of 5G networks in the world.
BMW Brilliance Digital Factory
It is reported that BMW has built the largest R&D and digital system outside Germany in China, with a team of more than 1,650 people, including about 600 software developers.
The century-old enterprises embracing the rise of China are the refraction of the tide of the times of global new technology and change. As one of the world's largest luxury car manufacturers, BMW has taken deeper root in the soil of China with an open and innovative vision, and has been able to continue to lead the industry change and promote the future of mobility.
Yangzi Evening News/Purple Cow News reporter Cao Zhijuan