BMW sees China as dominant market for driverless vehicles

For Nevijo Mance, a vice-president of BMW China, buying a car would always be more than just looking for mobility.

A car can also express your value, the group of people you think you belong to. And in the near future, a really good car can even take over your driving task, so to speak, and instead drive itself in certain conditions, said Mance, who oversees the research and development projects at the German premium carmaker.

According to Mance, highly automated driving, or HAD, technology is one of the top priorities in BMW's R&D department. And China, which has fast-expanding urban centers, is where the carmarker sees the most potential for HAD technology.