Korean partners vital: BMW

YEONGJONGDO ISLAND, Incheon ― BMW Group on Tuesday pledged to enhance its partnerships with Korean stakeholder groups in creating a whole new ecosystem for its i Series cars and promoting the nascent electric vehicle market in general.

The comments came during an e-mobility forum the German luxury carmaker held at its new driving center on Yeongjongdo Island in Incheon, with hundreds of government and industry people in attendance.

The Korean event was noteworthy as BMW invited university students to join the discussions for the first time in Asia.

“The whole story of the BMW i brand is the story of dialogue with potential customers,” said Julian Weber, head of BMW Group’s e-mobility projects, adding they chose Korea “unanimously” due to its tech-savvy customers and high-quality education.

The group’s vice president of communications strategy Bill McAndrews also stressed the voice and power of young people.

“Korea is one of the most tech-savvy countries. The word of mouth among Korean youngsters will create a buzz that’s what we need,” he added. 

BMW, an EV pioneer in the premium segment, launched its first full-electric compact, the i3, in November, and the plug-in sports car the i8 early this year globally. With demand soaring, especially in Europe, accumulated sales had exceeded 8,400 units as of August, according to the company.

In Korea, the i3 made its debut in April and has sold some 100 units.

Though the initial sales figure is small, the carmaker said it was willing to ramp up efforts to build related infrastructure, including charging networks, and to meet emissions standards, in partnership with local governments and businesses.

Last year, BMW signed an agreement with the provincial government of Jejudo Island to install 30 charging stations on the island, which boasts the world’s highest level of EV incentives and tax cuts.

“EV is more than a product. It’s a total-solution service,” said Glenn Schmidt, Asian director of corporate and government affairs, pledging to elevate predictability for customers choosing EVs in the early stage.

McAndrews expressed much affection and high expectations for the Korean market, the home turf of Samsung SDI, the sole battery cell supplier for i vehicles.

“Considering that battery cells are crucial for EVs, you could say that the very heart of the BMW i3 is Korean,” he said with a smile. He declined to elaborate on future plans of adding other cell suppliers besides Samsung. 

BMW is the best-selling foreign car brand in Korea. The Korean unit aims to sell a record 40,000 vehicles this year.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)