A New Top Example of China Quality and Green Mobility, All-new
BMW i3 Officially Rolls off Assembly Line

• The all-new BMW i3 rolls off the assembly line at Plant Lydia, further accelerating the BMW Group’s electric offensive.
• Sets new benchmarks in quality with cutting-edge technology in all four major shops
• With green plant building green cars, BMW leads into a sustainable future

(Shenyang/Beijing) On May 5, BMW's first all-electric mid-size sports sedan the all-new BMW i3 officially rolled off the production line at the Plant Lydia, the third vehicle plant at BMW Group's Shenyang production base, signifying the company’s further acceleration of BEV offensive in China. With the launch of the all-new BMW i3 and the debut of the first-ever BMW i7 in China, BMW has presented 5 BEVs to the Chinese customers. By this year, the BMW Group is expected to have a total of 15 BEVs in production including pre-series models, covering about 90% of all segments in the global line-up. It is forecasted to deliver 2 million BEVs worldwide by the end of 2025 and 10 million in 2030. This reaffirms the BMW Group's concept of “no premium without sustainability”.

“The smooth roll-off of the all-new BMW i3 also fully demonstrates that BMW's local R&D and production capabilities have reached a new height,” said Mr. Robert Kuessel, Senior Vice President of Technology & Manufacturing, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. “Thanks to BMW's forward-looking manufacturing philosophy and advanced production system, we can continue to meet Chinese customers’ high requirements in taste, standards and quality. It also demonstrates the close teamwork between our Chinese and German teams. It is the pride of every BMW Brilliance employee who have worked very hard for this extraordinary product.”

State-of-the-art technology ensures outstanding luxury and quality

The all-new BMW i3 shows off modern sports aesthetics through its slim and powerful waistlines. Such poetic precision is made possible by the state-of-the-art pressing technology. The press shop is equipped with the world's most advanced 6-stage servo press line, which not only has high working efficiency, but also a pressing accuracy of up to 0.2mm, which is comparable to the diameter of a hair. This fully guarantees the precision and sharpness of the lines of the car.

In addition, driving pleasure in an electric vehicle requires high rigidity. The i3 incorporates a variety of materials including high-strength steel, hot-formed steel, multi-phase steel, aluminium-magnesium alloy etc., to create a highly rigid and lightweight body through specifically designed material composition. Using complex and diverse materials creates higher demands on joining equipment and technology. The new welding robot and BMW 4th generation servo welding gun have been introduced for the first time in the Body Shop, allowing more precise and efficient welding, as well as preventive maintenance. More than ten advanced connection technologies are used to firmly connect the various parts of the body together, another step in ensuring passenger safety.

The all-new BMW i3 offers six types of personalized car paints for customers to choose from. 63 robots in paint shop ensure the bright and durable paint surface with high quality. The coating of the all-new BMW i3 has been going through PT/EC, sealing, IPP painting process (painting), foaming and wax process. The latest generation painting processes and spraying robots have been incorporated, which further boosts spraying density. A series of advanced processes enhance the car’s noise reduction and anti-corrosion performance, as well as gravel and water resistance, offering customers a quieter, safer and more luxurious driving experience.

The all-new BMW i3 comes with BMW’s fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology power battery pack, produced at the BMW Brilliance HVB Center II. It uses 811 lithium-ion batteries with a total capacity of about 70 kWh which gives this model an e-range of 526 km in the CLTC cycle. Thanks to BMW's expertise in various high voltage battery related fields, including raw materials, chemical formulations, internal structural design, and lean production processes, the battery pack achieves a perfect balance in performance, energy density, cruising range, safety, and reliability throughout its life cycle.

Premium digital experience joins driving pleasure to set segment benchmarks

As the first all-electric mid-size sports sedan in the segment, the all-new BMW i3 offers up to twenty high-value standard configurations, setting well-deserved benchmarks with its comprehensive and powerful product strength. For example, the best-in-class 2,966mm wheelbase, the China exclusive comfort seats with thicker seat cushions and backrests, and comfort headrests make the rear space spacious and comfortable. The digital sensory experience has also been further upgraded. BMW iDrive 8.0 and BMW Curved Display bring BMW's latest HMI experience. Panoramic glass sunroof and the combination of 9 types of ambient lights fill the passenger compartment with innovative technology and a sense of luxury.

The all-new BMW i3 also brings customers an extraordinary driving experience in an electric vehicle with its excellent handling and performance. It adopts fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology with synchronized excitation electric motor. The all-new BMW i3 eDrive35L can achieve a maximum output of 210kW and peak torque of 400N·m, and a 0-100km/h acceleration within 6.2 seconds through a single electric motor. At the same time, the further optimized aerodynamic design, lower centre of gravity, wider front and rear track, and stronger body rigidity (equipped with front shock absorber strut as well as front and rear anti-roll bars) endow the all-new BMW i3 with a pure and refined driving pleasure. The application of the innovative hydraulic stoke-dependent shock absorber technology and rear axle air suspension as standard add the right amount of comfort in addition to dynamics.

Producing green cars in green plants, BMW leads a sustainable future of mobility

The BMW Group integrates sustainability throughout its entire value chain to ensure that the “greenest electric car is made by BMW” for the customers. Taking the all-new BMW i3 as an example, this model reduces emissions throughout its entire lifecycle, including the phase of design and development, supply chain, production, usage and recycling. This model has been designed with sustainability in mind right from the start. Its electric motor adopts synchronized excitation technology with no rare earth, reducing the dependence on rare metal resources. Not only are all raw materials both safe and environmentally friendly, but all components are produced using 100% renewable energy during the production. Water is utilized in a highly efficient manner and recycled as much as possible. Production of the battery in the BMW i3 introduces advanced equipment to spray the insulation layer, which makes efficient recycling of insulation materials possible. At the same time, Plant Lydia is also equipped with an industry-leading “Smart Energy Consumption Management System” which efficiently monitors energy consumption and flexibly adjusts for optimized usage. The all-new BMW i3 is fully demonstrating the paradigm that “a green plant builds green cars”.

At the same time, thanks to a strict material management system, BMW Brilliance has been committed to seeking materials with higher recyclability and reusability. Currently, BMW has established a comprehensive dealership high-voltage power battery recycling management process in China. BMW Brilliance has built a battery code traceability management system to track the entire life cycle from production to end-of-life recycling. All battery code information from both locally produced and imported electric vehicles is uploaded to this platform, which tracks the entire life cycle from production to end-of-life recycling, and syncs with China’s national platform.

With great innovation and technology, BMW continues to push forward sustainability efforts, creating a full “green” value chain for the all-new BMW i3. Sustainable development has always been at the core of BMW’s China strategy, and the company will fully support China's transition to a low-carbon economy. The all-new BMW i3 is a vivid representation of the company’s comprehensive sustainability strategy.