BMW SPEARHEADS DRIVE IN NEV MARKET WITH EXCITING OFFERINGS

Premium marque grows China charging network to dispel mileage anxiety and will 'change the future of motoring' with a whole set of new energy lineup and services

Germany's BMW is spearheading its drive into China's premium new energy vehicle market with a whole set of offerings - ranging from products to services tailored for the world's biggest market for such cars.

BMW now offers six new energy models in the country, with the latest one in the lineup being the plug-in hybrid 530Le unveiled last month.

Equipped with the latest 3rd generation eDrive technology, the model creates a unique, electrified driving experience with all-round intelligent features such as smart energy management.

"Electrification is one of the most important trends in the global automotive industry today," said Michael Liu, president of BMW China Automotive Trading.

He added that electrification was also a core part of BMW's corporate strategy, NUMBER ONE>NEXT, which outlines the goals and framework the auto behemoth will follow to change the future of motoring.

"The BMW Group is fully invested in this move towards electric vehicles, and has already had some outstanding achievements," Liu said.

"The BMW Group will continue to enhance our leading edge in this market in the future."

BMW is also rolling out its Mission i marketing campaign in China.

This is an innovative platform that offers opportunities for people in more than 20 cities to test its new energy models and to experience its state-of-the-art technology in autonomous driving, connectivity, as well as sharing and services.

"Through this innovative platform we hope more customers will experience e-mobility with BMW and our products," said Sean Green, senior vice-president of sales and marketing of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.

"By strengthening the emotional links between our brand and customers, we are helping them to open the door to an electrified lifestyle."

BMW is working on a charging network in China to dispel mileage anxiety and facilitate car use.

As of 2017, it had installed more than 65,000 charging poles scattered across more than 90 Chinese cities, in cooperation with the four major Chinese charging network operators, including Qingdao Teld New Energy.

The premium carmaker has also set itself the ambitious target of installing more than 80,000 public charging poles in more than 100 Chinese cities by the end of the year.

China has built the world's biggest public charging network for electric vehicles, according to the China Electric Car Charging Technology and Industry Alliance.

By the end of 2017, it had more than 440,000 charging poles in the country, including 213,903 public charging poles and 231,820 private ones.

BMW is also offering a premium and convenient service called Park& Charge, which allows car owners to reserve a parking lot in major traffic hubs via WeChat, a Tencent app widely used by Chinese people.

Currently, a total of 44 Park & Charge spaces have been installed in Shanghai.

The carmaker said it will expand the service later in this year in Shanghai and to other cities as well.

BMW is localizing production of its new energy car models as well as their batteries in China.

Late last year, it opened a high-voltage battery center in Shenyang, Liaoning province, where its car manufacturing facilities are also located.

According to the carmaker, the battery factory is initially providing battery packs to the nearby Dadong plant that manufactures the 530Le plug-in hybrid for the local market.

It is the first battery factory of any premium automotive manufacturer in China and the third in BMW's production network, after Germany and the US, according to Oliver Zipse, a BMW board member responsible for production.

The high-voltage battery is a central element of partially and fully-electrified vehicles.

In-house production gives BMW a decisive competitive advantage by securing know-how in new technologies, gaining key systems expertise and leveraging cost benefits.

The company already produces electrified vehicles at 10 locations worldwide and expects electrified BMW and MINI models to account for between 15 and 25 percent of their global sales by 2025.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/25/2018 page6)