BMW will start mass production in China of cars with vehicle-to-everything technology from 2025, said a senior R&D executive on Thursday.
“China is the fertile ground for the development of intelligent connected vehicles,” said Robert Kahlenberg, senior vice-president of BMW Research & Development China, at the ongoing 2024 World Intelligent Connected Vehicles Conference.
He said BMW has established the largest R&D and digitalization footprint outside Germany in China to promote the local development and cooperation of intelligent connected technology.
BMW envisions the future of mobility as a fully connected intelligent transportation network, rather than isolated smart vehicles.
The V2X technology allows real-time data exchange and communication between vehicles, infrastructure, and the cloud network. It enhances coordination among various systems within smart city networks, laying a solid foundation for intelligent transportation.
For drivers, V2X offers valuable active safety features, such as real-time alerts for potential collision risks, helping to reduce accidents.
BMW said it has been working with key Chinese research institutions, such as the China Automotive Technology & Research Center and the China Academy of Information and Communications Technology to advance the application of intelligent connected vehicle technologies, including V2X.
In July, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, along with four other departments, announced the first batch of 20 pilot cities for V2X applications, marking the transition of V2X technology from testing to large-scale implementation.
Shenyang in Liaoning province, which is seen as BMW’s “hometown in China”, is one of the pilot cities. Local authorities released plans for commercial applications in August, including the opening of the first road for Level 4 autonomous driving tests in Northeast China.
BMW said it is working with the Shenyang government in terms of vehicle tests, information sharing as well as standard drafting to support the V2X’s development in the city.