Adapting to the Waves of New Energy and Smart Technology: A Century-Old Automaker’s Journey

How Century-Old Automakers Adapt to the Waves of New Energy and Intelligence

During the 2025 Shanghai Auto Show, the BMW Group showcased over 30 new models across its three brands, along with several groundbreaking technologies. Currently, the global automotive industry is entering a transformative phase characterized by automation and electrification. How can traditional automakers maintain their advantages and explore new opportunities in this changing landscape?

Driving Excellence with a Human-Centric Approach

BMW Group Chairman Oliver Zipse stated that the company’s innovations are part of a “New Generation” that represents a comprehensive leap across various dimensions, including artificial intelligence, driving dynamics, powertrains, battery technology, and operational concepts. This New Generation aims to elevate the pure joy of driving to new heights.

The New Generation models are equipped with three core technologies: the BMW Driving Control Super Brain, the panoramic iDrive, and a revolutionary cylindrical battery. The Driving Control Super Brain, developed by BMW, deeply integrates the powertrain and driving dynamics control systems, achieving a response time that surpasses one millisecond—approximately five times faster than current mainstream control systems. This means that the moment a driver gently presses the accelerator, the system has already completed complex decisions regarding torque distribution and suspension calibration.

At the Shanghai Auto Show, the “cinema” version of the BMW New Generation Super Sensory Intelligent Cockpit drew significant attention from visitors. Instead of the typical button-laden center console found in traditional cars, it features a “visual cone” system made up of four interactive interfaces: a panoramic display for sightlines, a 3D head-up display, a super-sensory smart control steering wheel, and a central control unit. With this layered information layout, drivers can access critical data without taking their eyes off the road.

Technology should enhance focus, becoming an extension of driving instincts. In 2004, BMW became the first automotive brand to widely adopt head-up display technology. In 2025, the 3D head-up display used in the New Generation models has been further innovated, employing industry-leading oblique projection technology that makes navigation arrows appear to stick to the road and speed limit signs seem to float in front of the vehicle. This allows drivers to receive important driving or navigation information without shifting their gaze, resulting in a more natural presentation of information that enhances safety.

The panoramic iDrive system is designed to provide just the right amount of intelligence for drivers. Based on over 2,500 hours of user behavior research in China, BMW’s development team identified five high-frequency usage scenarios, localizing everything from in-car navigation to voice interactions. The new generation operating system, X, integrates with local platforms like WeChat and Douyin, making BMW vehicles more attuned to users’ everyday lives, thus embedding intelligence into practical scenarios.

BMW’s commitment to the “driving excellence” philosophy emphasizes that regardless of how technology evolves, the core principle must always be human-centric.

From “Transportation” to “Intelligent Ecosystem”

Amid the new wave of transformation in the automotive industry, BMW has long been applying electrification and intelligent technologies across its product range, particularly with great expectations placed on the New Generation models.

“With our strategy of technological openness, we provide customers with the latest innovations across all brands and powertrains, allowing them to freely choose the products that best suit their needs. This strategy has proven successful globally,” Zipse noted. He emphasized that innovation is not just about the development of a single technology but rather about integrating all technologies to comprehensively meet customer demands. “We strive not only for impressive technology but for solutions that customers can use, dare to use, and find useful,” he added.

While accelerating innovation, BMW remains committed to the principle of “safety first,” ensuring that every new technology provides reliable and secure travel guarantees. The company has invested heavily in a driving simulation center and a future mobility development center to enforce stringent testing and validation during the technology development process. Zipse pointed out that consumers are increasingly focused on the “traditional values” of vehicles, such as safety, product quality, system integration capability, and brand building—areas where BMW excels.

As technology rapidly advances, the application of AI in automotive products is gradually becoming a new trend in the industry. AI technology is not only transforming manufacturing processes but also redefining user experiences, expanding the traditional boundaries of the automotive industry, and facilitating the shift of vehicles from mere transportation to intelligent ecosystems.

At the Shanghai Auto Show, BMW introduced two exclusive AI assistants for the Chinese market, “Car Expert” and “Travel Companion,” developed in-depth with Alibaba. These AI assistants, built on Alibaba’s large language model with extensive parameters, will be available in domestically produced BMW New Generation models starting in 2026. The former can analyze real-time weather and road conditions through sensors to suggest optimal driving modes, while the latter can handle complex requirements like avoiding highways while passing trendy restaurants, planning an entire journey like a personal concierge.

These AI assistants are not just flashy features; their training data comes from the driving behaviors of 6 million Chinese vehicle owners, ensuring that every piece of advice aligns with the real needs of local users. Technology should not be cold code but a travel partner that can sense emotions and provide proactive care.

In China, For China

BMW has been rooted in the Chinese market for over 30 years, currently employing around 28,000 staff and closely collaborating with nearly 500 local suppliers while making substantial investments for long-term growth. Since 2010, BMW has invested approximately 116 billion RMB at its Shenyang production base, the largest investment outside Germany.

“BMW remains committed to ‘in China, for China, and innovating at Chinese speed.’ We are partnering with local pioneering enterprises to rapidly implement groundbreaking technologies,” Zipse stated. BMW has established the largest and most comprehensive R&D network outside Germany, with four major R&D and innovation bases located in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenyang, and Nanjing, covering the entire automotive development process and possessing full-stack intelligent connected vehicle software development capabilities.

Zipse noted that while BMW is a German company, its largest market is in China. “The strategic position of the Chinese market in BMW’s global innovation landscape is increasingly prominent and plays a key role in the leapfrog development of New Generation technology innovations.” The BMW Shanghai design team leads the development of New Generation models tailored specifically for the Chinese market, blending local aesthetics with advanced functionalities.

Moreover, BMW fosters collaboration among supply chain enterprises to create a healthy “whole-zero relationship,” establishing itself as a beneficial “innovation partner.” In China, BMW works with around 460 local suppliers, including industry leaders like Yanfeng and CATL. This collaboration extends beyond commercial relationships to form an ecological alliance for technological advancement.

Currently, BMW’s cooperation with Chinese partners has entered a new phase, focusing on innovations in intelligent mobility and promoting high-quality development in the Chinese automotive industry. “Artificial intelligence is one of the key areas for future collaboration,” Zipse remarked, “and we are deepening our strategic partnerships with leading Chinese technology companies to integrate cloud interaction capabilities with personalized experiences driven by generative AI.”

As Zipse puts it, “To succeed in the global market, we must not only create products that are globally attractive but also deeply cultivate each local market.” In China, BMW is making significant strides, leveraging the innovative technologies of the New Generation models, a robust local R&D system, strengthened local partnerships, and a commitment to responsibility, accelerating innovation to write a new chapter in brand development, offering Chinese users smarter, more convenient, and sustainable mobility solutions.