BMW embraces innovation on journey towards low-carbon future

The BMW Group continues to demonstrate its commitment to promoting green innovation and contributing to high-quality development in China, the world's largest vehicle market.

The German premium automaker is showcasing five new energy vehicles at the ongoing sixth China International Import Expo in Shanghai and will premiere the first-ever BMW i5 Long-wheelbase at next week's Guangzhou auto show.

A participant in every previous edition of the annual expo, this year BMW is exhibiting pure electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles and, for the first time at the CIIE, a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen is on display alongside the flagship BMW i7 M70L, the BMW iX and BMW i4, as well as the BMW XM Label Red.

BMW is also showcasing its recent achievements in innovative manufacturing and sustainability.

"As a long-standing and committed partner, the BMW Group has strongly shaped and participated in the growth of the dynamic Chinese automotive industry. New energy vehicle policy in China has been a major success story, and we particularly welcome the openness to support different drivetrain technologies," said Oliver Zipse, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG.

The BMW Group is undergoing a comprehensive electrification transformation of its entire product lineup to meet the diverse demands of consumers for sustainable mobility.

The company's hydrogen fuel cell vehicle offers a new alternative energy source, complementing pure electric drive technology. Hydrogen energy is considered one of the vital pathways to achieve zero-emission mobility in the future.

The BMW Group was the first German automaker to join the "Business Ambition for 1.5°C" initiative from Science Based Targets and the United Nations Global Compact, and has pledged to reduce average per-vehicle full lifecycle carbon emissions by 40 percent by 2030, compared to 2019 levels.

The BMW iX5 hydrogen fuel cell vehicle, making its CIIE debut this year, is the culmination of the company's systematic efforts to advance hydrogen power technology and underscores its leadership in electric drive technology — the result of over 40 years of expertise in hydrogen drive development and more than 20 years in hydrogen fuel cell technology R&D.

With a total output of up to 295 kilowatts, including 125 kW of continuous output from the high-performance fuel cell, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen can accelerate from 0-100 kilometers per hour within six seconds. It has a maximum range of 504 km and requires only three to four minutes to fill the hydrogen tank.

Earlier this year, BMW conducted tests in the United States, Japan and South Korea to prove hydrogen fuel cell vehicles can perform well in different weather and geographic conditions — further verifying the technical feasibility of hydrogen as an option for electric mobility in the future.

In September, the iX5 Hydrogen underwent intensive testing in the United Arab Emirates, where it faced challenging conditions in the high-temperature desert environment. Mid-October test drives began in China.

In recent years, China's continued push for high-quality development and high-level opening-up to the outside world has spawned an innovation-driven development strategy and provided new impetus for the growth of companies here.

The BMW Group is committed to collaborating with Chinese partners for open innovation and win-win cooperation, and thanks to China's favorable business environment and strength in electrification and digitalization, the company continues to upgrade its R&D layout in the world's largest vehicle market.

The booth for BMW Asia Pacific Tech in the sixth CIIE's Innovation Incubation Zone includes a series of exhibits by startups from Germany, the United States, Switzerland, South Korea and Singapore, displaying their innovative products and technology solutions in fields such as automated driving, neuromorphic engineering, human machine interface (HMI) design, intelligent robotics and new materials.

Over the first three quarters of 2023, the BMW Group delivered a total of 602,835 BMW and MINI vehicles in the Chinese market. Sales of fully-electric BMW vehicles more than tripled to 69,603 units compared to the same period last year, with the all-new BMW i3 and BMW iX3 proving especially popular.

The brand's first compact battery electric SAV, the first-ever BMW iX1, launched in August and rolled off the assembly line in Plant Tiexi in Shenyang, Liaoning province, in September.

Featuring a human-centric digital experience, sheer electric driving pleasure and an eco-friendly footprint, the BMW iX1 offers customers a unique premium experience.

The highly anticipated BMW i5 Long-wheelbase, which will debut at the upcoming Guangzhou auto show, is expected to continue BMW's leadership in the large-medium premium sedan segment and enhance its share in the premium BEV market. With the arrival of the i5 Long-wheelbase, BMW will be offering at least one BEV model in every core segment.

Globally, the company aims for one out of every five new vehicles to be fully electric by 2024 and one out of every four new vehicles to be fully electric by 2025.

BMW's next-generation Neue Klasse models, set to commence production in China from 2026, will encompass a range of pure electric models and other new energy models, according to the automaker.