The BMW Group Starts the Year with an All-Electric Model,
Unveiling the New BMW Electric Journey with the 5 Millionth
BMW Rolling off the Production Line

(Shenyang) The BMW Group is striding towards the future of mobility with Electric, Digital, and Circular. On February 20th, an All New Fully Electric BMW i3 40L rolled off the production line of Plant Tiexi Lydia site, marking the cumulative production of 5 million cars at BMW Shenyang Production Base and the beginning of a new chapter in the BMW Group's electrification journey. The anniversary comes on top of the 20th anniversary of BMW Brilliance and the arrival of the new variants of The All New Fully Electric BMW i3.

Dr. Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG Board Member for Production, said, “Congratulations to the team in Shenyang for producing five million BMW cars! This impressive milestone once again underlines the important contribution of our Chinese manufacturing sites to the success of the BMW Group. As leading examples of the BMW iFACTORY strategy, our advanced Shenyang Plants are all set for electrification and will play a crucial role in our future.”

Since 1994, the BMW Group has been successfully developed in China, and BMW Brilliance, established in 2003, is undoubtedly the most moving part of the story. Since 2010, BBA has invested more than 94.5 billion RMB into its production base and projects in Shenyang, creating more than 26,000 high quality jobs, reaffirming its "At Home in China" commitment. At present, the BMW Shenyang Production Base integrates R&D, procurement and production, with the annual production capacity increasing to 830,000 units. It is the largest BMW production base worldwide and one of the most important centers for NEV market.

“Producing five million cars is a special achievement. The fact that our milestone car is a fully electric BMW i3 from our newest production site shows that our e-mobility ramp-up is well under way”, said Dr. Franz Decker, President and CEO of BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. “Five million cars reflects the strong customer demand for our BMW cars and the capability of our team to deliver high-quality products time-after-time. I want to thank all our partners and associates for their continued excellence, and the local government for its enduring support.”

As a pioneer of the BMW iFACTORY production strategy, the BMW Shenyang Production Base fits perfectly into the Lean, Green, and Digital production approach of the future, with all plants flexibly producing BEV, PHEV and ICE models, responding swiftly to the rapid growth of demand for BEVs in China. The BMW iX3, the first locally-produced BEV launched at the end of 2020, is available for the Chinese market as well as for the European market, The BMW i3 was launched in 2022contributing to BMW's all-electric vehicle sales by 91.6% year-on-year. As the 5 millionth vehicle rolling off the production line, the All New Fully Electric BMW i3 eDrive40L is officially launched, setting the tone for BMW's 2023 electric product offensive.

The All New Fully Electric BMW i3 eDrive40L’s Launch Kicks off the Year, Unveiling BMW's 2023 Electric Product Offense

As the high-end variant of the BMW i3, The All New Fully Electric BMW i3 eDrive40L offers a better performance and longer range, with a maximum output of 250 kilowatts, a maximum torque of 430 N·m, a 5.6-second acceleration from zero to 100 km/h, and a range up to 592 kilometres under CLTC conditions. The new model is also outstanding in digitalization and luxury comfort, with ten highlight features provided including BMW Driving Assistance Pro, the Harman/Kardon sound system, BMW Iconic Sounds Electric, BMW Curved Display, Rear Axle with Adaptive Air Suspension, etc. The model is once again an interpretation of BMW making electric sportier and more emotional.

In 2022, the BMW Group offered five BEV models in the Chinese market. The BMW i7 as “the strongest 7 Series” BMW was launched at the end of the year. In 2023, the Group will continue the all-electric offense and expand its product line-up to 11 models, including the BMW iX1, the third locally-produced BEV.

The BMW Group has a clear plan for the future and expects to deliver the two millionth all-electric vehicle worldwide in 2025, and in the same year it will welcome DIE NEUE KLASSE with a new architecture. By 2030, 50% of the BMW Group's sales will come from all-electric models, and the cumulative sales of electric vehicles will reach 10 million units. By that time, the Rolls-Royce, MINI and the BMW Motorrad Urban Mobility will likewise be fully electric.

The Five Millionth BMW as an Implementation of the BMW iFACTORY, Builds an Intelligent Manufacturing System on a Scale of Millions

To achieve the electrification transformation of the whole brand and all product ranges, the BMW Group is establishing a production system towards future. With the focus of Lean, Green and Digital, the BMW iFACTORY is a production strategy to embrace electrification, and Shenyang in Liaoning Province has been an excellent implementation example of this strategy.

The BMW Shenyang plants enabled production with digital technology. Cutting- edge technologies such as 5G communication, virtual simulation and AI are ubiquitous. The BMW Shenyang production has already implemented around 100 AI applications. It can ensure the world-class quality of BMW electric products and high flexibility at the same time and switch to all-electric, plug-in hybrid or ICE production on demand.

Last June, Plant Tiexi Lydia site officially opened. It was the first BMW “Industrial Metaverse” plant fully planned and simulated in the virtual world from the very start and the first plant designed for NEV production. Here, Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platforms connect every product, process and person for high-quality and high-efficient digital production. The All New Fully Electric BMW i3 is the first model produced in this plant and the All New Fully Electric BMW i3 eDrive40L, the five millionth model, symbolizes the BMW iFACTORY’s new journey.

With the further promotion of “Electric, Digital and Circular” strategy, the BMW Group fully advance digital revolutions and innovations in China. It has established the largest R&D and Digital footprint outside Germany, covering four R&D centers including Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang and Nanjing, with around 3,200 associates working on digital innovations, to support its digital development in China. Shenyang R&D center focuses on NEV technology and production. Beside, BMW Shenyang production base also includes the High Voltage Battery Center which was also the first of its kind established among the premium car brands in China. With constantly upgrading, the extension to the advanced HVB project with the investment of RMB 10 billion will start this year.

The BMW Group is committed to producing the “greenest vehicles” throughout the entire value chain and the Shenyang Production Base has set a good example. It uses 100% renewable electricity and takes multiple measures to build a green logistics system such as low-carbon combined transport and green warehouses including electric truck for short shuttle, rail transport and maritime transport. BMW's implementation of “Circularity” concept in the whole value chain also reflects in building a green supply chain. BMW has set up a project team for supply chain sustainable development in China to formulate and implement the "China supply chain emission reduction plan" more scientifically according to China's national conditions.

“At Home in China”, the BMW Group is marching towards Electric, Digital and Circular. The five millionth locally-produced BMW opens a new chapter of its journey to the future e-mobility.

The MSRP of The All New Fully Electric BMW i3 eDrive40L: