The new BMW i3 officially rolled off the production line BMW Group to accelerate the pace of electrification in China

China Fortune News On May 5, BMW's first pure electric medium-sized sports car, the new BMW i3, officially rolled off the production line at BMW Group's production site in Shenyang, China. This means that the pace of electrification of the BMW Group in China has further accelerated.

The new BMW i3

With the launch of the new BMW i3 and the unveiling of the innovative BMW i7, BMW has brought 5 pure electric models to Chinese users. In 2022, the BMW Group is expected to produce and trial-produce 15 pure electric models, covering about 90% of the luxury car segment. By the end of 2025, the BMW Group plans to deliver 2 million pure electric vehicles worldwide, a figure that will reach 10 million by 2030.

Kun Shuo, Senior Vice President of Technology and Production at BMW Brilliance Automotive Co., Ltd., said: "The smooth roll-off of the new BMW i3 also fully demonstrates that BMW's local R&D and production capabilities have reached a new height. Thanks to BMW's forward-looking manufacturing concept and advanced production system, we can continuously meet the Chinese customers' pursuit of high grade, high standards and high quality. ”

As BMW's third vehicle plant in Shenyang, the Lida plant is equipped with world-leading equipment and production processes, demonstrating "Chinese quality" in luxury car manufacturing.

Press shop

The press shop of the factory is equipped with a servo 10,000-ton hexa-sequence stamping press, and the stamping accuracy can reach up to 0.2 mm. Thanks to the high stamping accuracy, the new BMW i3 features a slender waistline on the side of the body, interpreting BMW's sporty aesthetic.

In addition, the body of the new BMW i3 uses a variety of metal materials including high-strength steel, thermoformed steel, multiphase steel, aluminum-magnesium alloy, etc., taking into account the rigidity and lightweight of the body. Complex and diverse body materials place higher demands on joining equipment and technology, and for the first time, a new welding robot and BMW 4th generation of servo welding torches have been introduced in the body shop of the Rida plant, enabling more precise and efficient welding and preventive maintenance. More than a dozen advanced connection technologies hold the i3's body components together robustly, providing reliable safety for passengers in the car.

Body welding

The new BMW i3 offers six individual paint colours, and a smart paint shop with 63 robots makes these bright colours possible. i3 body coatings undergo multiple processes such as pretreatment electrophoresis, sealant, integrated spraying, and foaming and wax injection processes. Among them, the topcoat adopts a fully automatic integrated spraying process and uses a new generation of spraying robot equipment to further improve the degree of spraying fineness. The advanced spraying process can enhance the anti-corrosion and noise reduction performance, resistance to crushed stone and waterproofness of the body, bringing users a quiet, safe and luxurious driving experience.

The fifth-generation power battery pack equipped with the new BMW i3, produced by BMW Brilliance Power Battery Center Phase II, uses 811 nickel-cobalt-manganese ternary lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of about 70 kWh, and the vehicle has a cruising range of up to 526 kilometers under the CLTC standard. Thanks to BMW's comprehensive technical accumulation in the field of power batteries, the battery pack combines performance, energy density, cruising range, safety and quality and reliability throughout the life cycle.

New BMW i3 interior

As a luxury all-electric mid-size sports sedan, the new BMW i3 has a wheelbase of 2,966 mm, and the interior seat cushions and backrests have also been thickened for the Chinese market, resulting in a spacious and comfortable ride. THE BMW ALL-IN-ONE FLOAT SURFACE SCREEN AND THE NEW BMW iDrive AND BMW OPERATING SYSTEM 8.0 FURTHER UPGRADE THE VEHICLE INTERACTION AND DIGITAL SENSORY EXPERIENCE.

In terms of performance and handling, the new BMW i3 features the fifth generation of BMW eDrive technology and an excitation synchronous motor. Its eDrive35L model has a maximum output of 210 kW and a maximum torque of 400 Nm, and can accelerate the vehicle from 0 to 100 km/h in 6.2 seconds with a single motor drive. At the same time, the optimised aerodynamic design, lower center of gravity, wider front and rear wheelbase, and greater body rigidity (with front suspension top tie rods and front and rear anti-roll bars) give the new BMW i3 more driving pleasure. HRS hydraulic rebound damping technology and standard rear axle air suspension add just the right amount of comfort to the new car beyond the dynamic.

The new BMW i3 also embodies the BMW Group's concept of sustainability. From design and development, supply chain, production, use to recycling, the BMW Group implements carbon reduction throughout the life cycle of new vehicles. All parts of the new car use safe and pollution-free raw materials, all production links use 100% renewable energy electricity, and continuously optimize the efficiency and recycling capacity of water resources. In addition, the Rida plant is equipped with an "intelligent integrated energy management system" for monitoring, analysing and optimizing and adjusting energy consumption in a targeted manner. The new BMW i3 rolls off the production line at the Rida plant, fully interpreting the model of "green factory to create green vehicles".

At present, BMW has established a sound dealer high-voltage power battery recycling management process in China, and BMW Brilliance has also built a battery code traceability management system to track the whole life cycle of all domestic and imported electric vehicle batteries in the group from production to scrap recycling, and to achieve docking with the national platform.

The BMW Group has made sustainability at the heart of its "China Strategy", and the new BMW i3 is a visual representation of the BMW Group's sustainability strategy. (Huang Wei)

(Image from BMW Group official)