BMW aims to create a new generation with Chinese partners

Author | Zhou Zhiyu

Editor | Zhang Xiaoling

With the joint efforts of its partners, BMW, a century-old German luxury brand, has directed the sharp edge of its new generation strategy towards the forefront of the Chinese new energy market—smart cockpits, AI interaction, and battery technology.

At the Shanghai Auto Show, which opened on April 23, BMW Group Chairman Oliver Zipse stated that the strategic position of the Chinese market in BMW's global innovation landscape is increasingly prominent and plays a key role in the leapfrog development of new generation technological innovations.

Zipse indicated that this year, BMW will integrate the DeepSeek feature into several new cars sold in China, and subsequently, the DeepSeek feature will be applied to domestically produced BMW new generation models.

This is a reflection of BMW's strengthened cooperation with Chinese partners to accelerate AI integration.

With Alibaba's deeply customized two AI entities, "Car Expert" and "Travel Companion," developed based on a trillion-parameter large language model, they can understand complex user commands and provide personalized travel suggestions. For example, a user simply needs to say, "I want to travel from my home in Beijing to Anaya, including a short stop at a scenic spot," and the "Travel Companion" can integrate data such as weather and restaurant locations to plan the optimal route.

Last month, BMW also launched its China 360-degree full-chain AI strategy, utilizing AI technology to accelerate the implementation of products and marketing. Through the large model technology of Volcano Engine, BMW developed a dedicated online smart marketing tool that can accurately recommend vehicle models and configurations. This AI-driven marketing model not only enhances the car-buying experience for users but also helps dealers optimize operational efficiency.

BMW's exhibition booth was also meticulously designed. Upon entering the BMW booth, visitors felt as if they were in an immersive super-sensory smart cockpit resembling a "giant screen cinema." BMW's pioneering panoramic iDrive reconstructs the interaction interface with the "visual cone" concept, featuring over 1 meter of panoramic display at the horizon, industry-first ultra-short-distance projection technology, and nano-coated windshield glass, paired with a revolutionary vertically split design of the super-sensory smart control steering wheel and a "freely tailored" central control screen, forming four interactive interfaces that link the virtual and the real.

The layered design not only guides the line of sight to focus on driving but also ensures smooth and natural operation through tactile feedback and matrix backlighting technologies, redefining the standards of human-machine interaction.

The new BMW new generation operating system X was led by a Chinese development team and will deeply integrate features such as a customized version of Gaode navigation for an immersive navigation experience, along with 10 localized interactive experiences for the five major user scenarios commonly used by Chinese users.

BMW also introduced a model called the BMW New Generation Driving Experience Concept Car (BMW Vision Driving Experience). Although this car will not be directly mass-produced, the technologies it features, such as the super brain for driving control and panoramic iDrive cockpit, signify significant breakthroughs for BMW in the fields of electrification and intelligence.

BMW stated that the new car adopts a completely new electronic and electrical architecture, integrating four control units responsible for driving dynamics, infotainment, assisted driving, and basic functions. This architecture not only enhances the vehicle's computing speed but also achieves deep integration of the power domain and chassis domain, allowing the vehicle's response speed to reach the millisecond level BMW has revealed that the new generation of BMW models is based on a new generation of intelligent electronic and electrical architecture, integrating computing power that has increased by 20 times.

In terms of batteries, BMW's collaboration with partners to develop large cylindrical battery technology features a highly integrated design that enhances energy density while reducing manufacturing costs, providing core support for its electrification strategy.

Earlier, on February 21 of this year, BMW fully unveiled its sixth-generation electric drive technology, which utilizes large cylindrical battery technology and a new 800V high-voltage platform that supports super-fast charging. Energy density has increased by 20%, range has improved by 30%, and charging speed has increased by 30%. The main suppliers of large cylindrical batteries include CATL, EVE Energy, and Farasis Energy. Among them, CATL and EVE Energy will supply BMW factories in Asia and Europe, while Farasis Energy will be responsible for the North American market supply.

The battery super factory being built by Farasis Energy in South Carolina, USA, will provide BMW with sixth-generation power battery products, with a planned production capacity of 30GWh, expected to be operational by 2026. It is reported that the factory is currently progressing smoothly and has completed the construction of the main plant. Future BMW new generation high-end electric vehicles (such as the X5 series) equipped with Farasis Energy batteries will not only target the North American market but will also be exported globally.

In terms of product lineup, the layout of models exclusive to China is becoming clear: the first domestically produced new generation model has rolled off the production line in Shenyang and has begun comprehensive testing, set to meet Chinese consumers next year; while models like the iX3L demonstrate BMW's commitment to localization in the era of electrification.

According to BMW's plan, it aims to launch more than 10 new models in China by 2025; from 2026 to 2027, it will introduce over 20 new BMW vehicles, including new generation models.

Through this auto show, it can be seen that BMW intends to showcase its technological reserves in the new energy sector through "full-chain innovation" from technology to products, reflecting its global strategic vision with China as the innovation engine.

Standing at the crossroads of industry transformation, BMW, through its "new generation" models, deeply integrates Chinese wisdom with a century of automotive heritage, not only anchoring its direction for transformation in the new energy era but also providing a reference transformation model for traditional luxury car brands.

This transformation will not only determine BMW's future but will also be a new generation jointly created by the Chinese automotive industry and global giants