BMW accelerates innovation push in China to meet evolving consumer demands

In recent years, Chinese consumers have been increasingly shifting toward smart and electric vehicles, driven by a growing desire for connectivity and intelligent aids in their cars.

BMW believes that the auto industry must look beyond simply adding more features to vehicles just for the sake of adding technology, as this can overwhelm consumers. The automaker is therefore adopting a "shy tech" approach, a design philosophy that integrates advanced technologies subtly to enhance, rather than disrupt, the driving experience.

As new energy vehicles account for about half of all new car sales in China, access to high horsepower has become more widespread, with electric drivetrains offering instant torque and enhanced performance. But Zipse believes that, regardless of drivetrain types, driving pleasure remains unchanged as the primary consumer demand in the era of electrification.

He emphasized the importance of the emotional connection between a vehicle and its driver as a necessity for forward-thinking design.

BMW offers one of the broadest ranges of fully-electric vehicles among its competitors, while adopting an open approach by offering options from combustion engine to hybrid and fully electric models to meet diversified demands from customers globally.

BMW Group's cumulative delivery of electrified vehicles have surpassed 400,000 in China as of October. Additionally, BMW will launch its first-ever series-produced hydrogen-powered model in 2028.

Innovation at BMW goes beyond merely pushing technological boundaries, Zipse explained. It is also about "system integration of technologies in a way that fulfills customer needs". BMW strives to give its cars a distinct character and aims to offer customers a distinctive individual mobility experience that is more human-centric, intelligent and responsible, he added.

In China, the world's largest auto market and also BMW's largest single market, BMW's innovation efforts are tailored to local customer demands under its long-term "local for local" strategy.

With more than 3,200 R&D experts in China, a number that has tripled in the past three years, BMW has established the largest R&D network outside Germany. Its four major research and innovation bases are located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang in Liaoning province and Nanjing in Jiangsu province.