"China is our largest market in the world. BMW, home in China. Speaking at the Beijing Auto Show press conference, BMW Group's Director for Customers, Brands and Sales Gao Le said, "BMW is committed to further consolidating its strong position in the Chinese market. Regardless of oil and electricity, we are accelerating our product offensive in various market segments. In 2024, we will present more than 20 new and upgraded models of the BMW and MINI brands in the Chinese market. ”
As Gao Le said, BMW, which has established itself as a leader in the fuel era, continues to launch a variety of competitive products in the era of electrification.
On April 25, the day of the auto show, the BMW Group's new all-electric BMW i4 made its world premiere at the Beijing International Auto Show.
As the brand's first all-electric four-door coupe, the BMW i4 inherits the BMW brand's sporty DNA and perfectly combines the iconic coupe aesthetic with pure driving pleasure, setting a new benchmark for electric driving pleasure. The new all-electric BMW i4 will lead the new BMW 4 Series Coupe and Convertible Coupe, and will undoubtedly continue to consolidate the 4 Series family's leading position in the luxury mid-size segment.
As Göller has told on various occasions, in China, the automotive industry is changing and innovation is constantly emerging. For a long time, in the field of electrification and intelligence, BMW's layout has been earlier and more resolute. In the new era, it wants to establish a strong position beyond the many positions of its competitors.
Create a luxury pure electric coupe with true sporty genes
Since its launch in 2020, nearly 400,000 units of the current BMW 4 Series have been delivered worldwide – and when it comes to the all-electric BMW i4, it sold more than 80,000 units worldwide last year, making it one of the best-selling luxury BEVs – and has also helped the BMW Group deliver more than one million BEVs worldwide.
Since its launch in 2021, the BMW i4 has opened up a precedent in the pure electric market in its class with its pure coupe DNA, and has won the favor of many young users with its pure sports coupe aesthetics, and the powerful acceleration performance and dynamic and luxurious driving experience have become the second reasons why they choose the BMW i4.
Now, the new all-electric BMW i4 embodies BMW's deep understanding of the needs of modern luxury and rejuvenation with a more distinctive design aesthetic and better driving pleasure, and highlights the sporty essence of the BMW brand.
According to the data, the average age of BMW i4 owners in China is only 32 years old. The BMW i4 fully meets their expectations for a luxury electric coupe with true sporty genes.
Leveraging the excellent performance of its electric vehicles, including the BMW i4, the BMW Group delivered more than 375,000 BEVs to customers worldwide in 2023, a year-on-year increase of 74.2%.
In the Chinese market, which is a bellwether for electrification, the BMW Group will deliver about 100,000 BMW BEVs in 2023, becoming an important pillar of BMW's overall sales growth. Up to now, the BMW brand has offered a total of eight BEV models in the Chinese market, covering almost all major market segments. By the end of the year, the BMW Group will have 11 all-electric models, as well as two electric motorcycles.
Regardless of whether it is petrol or electric, it will continue to tell the success story of the BMW 4 Series family
"Regardless of the drive, the BMW 4 Series family is a success story. At the auto show, Gao Le said.
In 2024, BMW will upgrade the entire BMW 4 Series, with the new BMW 4 Series Coupe and the new BMW 4 Series Convertible already available in China.
In the luxury midsize coupe segment, the BMW 4 Series has always stood for the perfect combination of driving pleasure and elegant, sporty design. Coupes play an important role in the BMW brand, they are synonymous with "dream cars", and they are the shaper of the BMW brand.
Now, the new BMW 4 Series Coupe and Convertible Coupe have been refreshed, and a number of luxury features such as laser taillights, two new paints in York Point Green and Flame Red, and M carbon fiber interior trim strips have been applied to the BMW 4 Series for the first time. The new car will be more distinctive design aesthetics and better driving pleasure, interpreting BMW's deep understanding of the needs of modern luxury and youth, and highlighting the sports essence of the BMW brand.
It can be said that the BMW 4 Series family models are the epitome of pure driving pleasure for BMW, regardless of whether they are petrol or electric, and continue to lead the success of the segment.
As an important component of BMW's mid-size luxury car segment, the cumulative global sales volume of the current BMW 4 Series since its launch in 2020 has reached nearly 400,000 units. In the Chinese market, which is full of opportunities and competition, the BMW 4 Series family is firmly the sales champion in the luxury midsize coupe segment in 2023.
In China, the world's largest market, the BMW Group is pushing ahead with its product offensive in almost all core market segments. In 2024 alone, BMW will launch more than 20 new products under the BMW and MINI brands in the Chinese market to better meet changing customer needs.
In addition to products, at the R&D level, in 2023 alone, the BMW Group will invest a total of 7.5 billion euros in R&D worldwide, a large part of which is invested in product development. BMW has always invested heavily in the Chinese market, and has established the largest and most complete R&D network outside of Germany in China.
In terms of smart mobility, BMW is also actively cooperating with Chinese technology giants to integrate the needs of Chinese customers into early development. For example, about 70% of the functions in the latest generation of the BMW OS 9 operating system are tailored to the Chinese market. In other words, China's innovative power is already fully reflected in our product line.
In the future, the BMW Group will continue to lead the innovation and development of the industry with a stronger brand and product lineup, and provide consumers with benchmark products in all core market segments.