BMW chairman outlines development focus in China

Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Recently, Harald Kruger, chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, visited China and shared some opinions with local media.

Kruger said that China is not only the most important market for the luxury carmaker, but also an important base for the company’s innovation and value creation. BMW hopes to work with China market to write a new chapter in new energy vehicles, autonomous driving and mobility service.

BMW aims to be a global leading mobility service provider. ReachNow powered by EVCARD, the co-brand BMW set up with EVCARD, a Shanghai-based electric vehicle-sharing brand, has started to provide service in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan province, signifying BMW officially introduces car-sharing service to China. In the future, 100 upgraded BMW i3s will be put into operation in Chengdu.

Innovation, learning and local talent training will be key words for BMW in China. The innovation is not limited to technology, but also in culture and marketing. In October, 2017, BMW’s power battery center opened. With the completion of new Dadong factory, new R&D center and new power battery center, BMW has entered a new phase in the development in China.

The talent localization is part of its strategy in China. More and more Chinese people take important posts in BMW. Currently, 82 percent posts in the management are filled with Chinese staff, increasing 5 percent. Some of them can report directly to Kruger.

The chairman thought highly of the mobile internet development in China. At present, over 1 million vehicles with interconnect features are running on China’s roads. What’s more, BMW has teamed up with Alibaba, the ecommerce giant, to develop a series of “digitalized experiences for the car and home”. Based on smart speakers and the cloud technology, the service can remotely access information about cars.

As to the electric vehicle startups that have sprung up in China auto industry, Kruger said that BMW has always been taking all entrants in auto industry seriously. Since the industry has been transforming, it is advisable for BMW to keep an eye on the new entrants as well as the traditional players. Apart from the competition, there are still chances for BMW to cooperate with the startups.