BMW ushers in new mobility with iNEXT

Automaker to enhance e-mobility and expand digital connectivity between drivers and vehicles

Having celebrated its centennial, German premium automaker BMW has embarked on another leg of its journey to shape change in the automotive sector with a strategy that focuses on people and the environment.

"We are setting the standard with our 'Strategy Number ONE \> NEXT', both now and into the future. We will lead the BMW Group into a new era in which we will transform and shape both individual mobility and the entire sector permanently," said Harald Krueger, chairman of the board of management of BMW AG.

BMW said digitalization trends sweeping across the world of mobility create an excellent opportunity to make mobile life simpler, safer and more convenient, inspiring completely new customer groups.

In the coming years the automaker will focus on enhancing e-mobility, improving automated driving and expanding the scope of digital connectivity between drivers and vehicles.

Raising e-mobility bar

BMW said its new strategy will usher in the next decade with a new BMW i model that will raise premium individual mobility to never-before-seen levels.

Under the banner of BMW iNEXT, the giant in the premium car segment will weave new forms of automated driving and digital connectivity with a new generation of electric mobility, lightweight construction and unique interior designs that will establish new standards for drivers' mobility experience.

"BMW iNEXT heralds the next era of mobility," said Krueger. "This symbol of our technology leadership will demonstrate how we will bring the future of mobility into series production."

The automaker also underlines BMW i's role as a driver of innovation and technological trailblazer. The brand develops trendsetting technologies and services and transfers them to the range of BMW models.

By the end of this year, its electric vehicle fleet is slated to include an i3 that features increased battery capacity and additional range.

The i brand is BMW's prime example of how it has become a visionary driver of innovation. More than 50,000 vehicles have already been sold and it recently rolled out the connected and intelligent flagship BMW 7 Series.

Project i 2.0

BMW is currently following an ambitious path of automated and fully networked driving in a project called i 2.0.

"With project i 2.0, we will lead the field of autonomous driving. We will turn research projects into new kinds of industrial processes, bringing future technology onto the road," said Klaus Frohlich, member of the board of management responsible for development.

The automaker said it hopes the project will cement its position as a technological leader in this field by making the most of potential opportunities offered by digitalization.

It said a clear focus will be placed on high-definition digital maps, sensor technology, cloud technology and artificial intelligence, the key areas for success in this segment.

BMW has already had a great deal of progress in automated driving. Equipped with a stereo camera and five radar sensors, its new BMW 7 Series can stay in lane and maintain a safe distance from the vehicle ahead, even when driving up to 210 km/h on motorways.

The model is also able to drive itself into a garage at the push of a button using the Remote Control Parking function. BMW said it will equip other models with these technologies in the coming years.

Vision of connectivity

New technologies not only make driving more comfortable, they also forge a link between mobility and other areas of life. Connectivity is the prerequisite for realizing this vision and BMW's ConnectedDrive has been setting standards in this aspect for several years.

"In the future, all aspects of our products - whether design, handling or everyday usage - will be modeled more closely than ever before on the customer's needs," said Frohlich. "Our technologies will learn to anticipate the needs of our customers. By converting data into intelligence, we will be enhancing the quality of life in a mobile world."

BMW Connected acts as a personalized companion for customers, providing a broad array of information to serve their mobility needs. The system becomes increasingly acquainted with the user's favorite routes and driving habits, thus enabling it to provide warnings of road closures or congestion ahead and suggesting alternative routes.

The BMW Group was also quick to recognize the increasing importance of other digital services, making products such as DriveNow, ParkNow and ChargeNow key factors in the BMW Group's future success.

Traditional business

New technologies and digital services will change today's business. The BMW Group expects a transformation that will steadily gather pace, over a long period and then develop diversely thereafter. This is fully reflected in the BMW Group's current vehicle architecture, which includes conventional and alternative drivetrain systems.

One example of this is the combustion engine, which will continue to play a major role for many years to come. There will therefore be no letup in BMW's efforts to improve the efficiency of established processes and continually optimize technologies. Under the banner of Efficient Dynamics NEXT, development work on existing drivetrain technologies continues unabated to improve the efficiency of combustion engines.

"Our key to success going forward is a dual approach: We need to manage our current business to perfection, while continuing to grow in a targeted fashion in order to secure the necessary investments and headroom we need to achieve success, both tomorrow and beyond," said Krueger.

"We are working to shape the future of mobility ourselves by merging operative excellence and new ways of thinking within one organization."

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/25/2016 page3)