Hand in hand with State Grid, BMW takes the lead in building an electric mobility ecosystem
On June 3, BMW and State Grid Electric Vehicle Company formally signed a cooperation agreement in Beijing. The two parties will start a strategic cooperation, covering three major areas: charging technology research and innovation, charging service product cooperation and promotion, and promotion of new energy power for new energy vehicles. aspect. As a leader in the field of luxury new energy vehicles, BMW has joined forces with China’s main force in the field of charging services, marking the continued advancement of BMW’s localization strategy in China’s electric field and further building a complete new energy ecosystem. At the same time, BMW is the first international car brand to start a strategic cooperation with the State Grid Electric Vehicle Company. The cooperation between the two parties in the technical field will lead the innovation of charging technology and jointly promote the development of China’s new energy market and the development of electric vehicle ecology and digital services for the benefit of More new energy vehicle customers.
Mr. Gao Le, President and CEO of BMW Group Greater China, said, “The current crisis will accelerate the transformation of global mobility in the future and drive the integration of the entire automotive industry. Therefore, the BMW Group will strengthen its position and continue to implement the established transformation strategy. And focus on real customer needs. By 2025, more than 30 billion euros will be invested in R&D and innovative technology. Electric mobility and digitalization will account for the majority of these investments. We believe that different driving forms will coexist for a long time, and we are also Technically, we have made relevant preparations to provide customers with the “power of choice.” In China, we have adopted a comprehensive electrification strategy and will provide 6 new energy models this year, while vigorously developing eDrive electric drive technology, dealer network, and charging Facilities and digital services. The cooperation with State Grid Electric Vehicle Company once again highlights the BMW Group’s firm commitment in this field.”
Dr. Wei Lande, President and CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive Co., Ltd. said, “BMW Brilliance has always been committed to building a comprehensive electric mobility ecosystem for the past ten years. This year, our Shenyang R&D center, which focuses on new energy, has once again strengthened. It will also usher in the opening of the second phase of the Power Battery Center, which will become the base camp for the production of the fifth-generation BMW power batteries, and will provide batteries for the upcoming BMW ix3 this year. As more and more local electric models are launched, customers are concerned about safety and speed. The demand for charging services is also increasing. Meeting these demands not only requires a lot of investment, but also requires cross-industry cooperation and close collaboration between multiple parties.”
Quan Shengming, Chairman of State Grid Electric Vehicle Company, stated, “State Grid Electric Vehicle Company has built the world’s largest Internet of Vehicles platform and the widest coverage of high-speed fast charging network. This year, in order to implement the strategic deployment of new infrastructure, State Grid The company has accelerated the development of the charging business in an all-round way, and will invest in the construction of 78,000 charging piles to improve the charging experience of electric vehicles and upgrade the level of charging facilities in China. Based on the unique advantages of both parties in the industry, and firm confidence in the long-term development of China’s electric vehicles , The two parties agreed to reach this strategic cooperation, and strive to achieve a strong alliance, complementary advantages, and jointly make greater contributions to the development of China’s new energy automobile industry.”
Customer-centric, digitally promote the ecological development of new energy vehicle services
Through the cooperation with State Grid Electric Vehicle Company, BMW will further expand the nationwide unified charging network, improve the convenience and overall service quality of new energy vehicle customers, so as to improve luxury customer services and build a comprehensive electric travel ecosystem. By the end of 2020, BMW will provide car owners with more than 270,000 charging piles, which will double, including 80,000 DC charging piles that provide fast charging. By connecting to the expressway fast charging network of “Ten Vertical, Ten Horizontal and Two Rings” of the State Grid, the BMW charging network will cover more than 50,000 kilometers of expressways across the country, making it possible for electric vehicles to drive long distances.
At the same time, BMW is further integrating China’s digital ecological services through the integration of digital technologies and strengthening the customer-centric electric vehicle experience. BMW provides customers with a “one-stop” digital charging experience-through the BMW cloud interconnection application, the complete process of search, charging and payment can be completed. In addition, as part of China’s “new infrastructure”, charging piles will become part of the Internet of Things in the future, forming a smart charging ecosystem that connects people, vehicles, charging piles and services. By accessing the digital ecology of charging piles, BMW can deeply understand customer behavior and preferences, provide customized services, and continuously improve the luxury service experience.
Drive development with innovation and continue to strengthen industry leadership
As a pioneer in the transition to electric mobility, BMW is also committed to continuously developing innovative technologies to improve the sustainability of the entire ecosystem and the entire value chain. BMW and State Grid Electric Vehicle Company have developed technical cooperation to jointly explore forward-looking technologies in the charging field, formulate high-power charging technology standards, plug-and-charge technology and research on vehicle-pile-network interaction technology. In order to ensure technical compatibility, BMW’s new energy vehicles and State Grid charging piles are conducting comprehensive interoperability tests. In the long run, this will benefit the development of the entire new energy market and benefit all customers. In the future, a pure electric vehicle is expected to complete a charge within 10-20 minutes, making the experience of using electric vehicles as convenient as traditional internal combustion engine models.
In addition, the two parties will work to promote the development of green energy in China. As one of the contents of this cooperation, BMW will work with State Grid Electric Vehicle Company to build a three-in-one energy station for charging, photovoltaic, and energy storage at BMW dealers to charge customers’ vehicles through solar energy to achieve clean electricity for new energy vehicles. The electricity generated can also be used for dealer operations. BMW’s first integrated energy storage and charging demonstration station will be completed in Beijing this year.
The strategic cooperation between BMW and State Grid Electric Vehicle Company this time marks another step forward in the localization process in China’s new energy market. In the future, BMW and State Grid Electric Vehicle Company will also strengthen cooperation in green power trading and battery echelon utilization, promote the production, use, and recycling of electric vehicles to use clean energy throughout the life cycle, and make every effort to achieve “vehicle-pile-grid-user- The common goal of “society” is win-win and mutual benefit.
Give customers the “right to choose” and continue to promote electrification
Whether in the world or in China, the BMW Group has always been a pioneer and leader in the field of new energy. BMW believes that different driving forms will coexist for some time to come. This means that BMW needs to continuously optimize its internal combustion engine technology and continue to innovate. At the same time, the BMW Group will continue to systematically promote the electrification process in all brands and model series to provide customers with a wide range of innovative products. These will be based on the use of intelligent and scalable vehicle architectures that can be equipped with multiple drive technologies. By 2023, the BMW Group will provide 25 pure electric or plug-in hybrid models worldwide, giving customers the “right to choose”.
At present, the BMW Group has delivered more than 500,000 new energy vehicles worldwide; by the end of next year, it is expected to increase to 1 million. In China, more than 60,000 customers have chosen BMW new energy models. BMW has also been able to continuously learn from customer needs, adhere to “customer-centric”, and continue to lead the market in terms of products and services.