BMW Opens Third R&D Center in China

BMW AG has officially opened a new research and development center in Beijing, marking the company’s third such facility in China.

The 183,000-sq-ft center is expected to employ more than 200 people. The center will focus on development, testing and validation of next-generation vehicles and technologies, including automation, electrification and connectivity.

BMW also has r&d centers in Shanghai and Shenyang. Together with the Beijing site, the Chinese facilities will employ 1,100 researchers, about two-thirds of them Chinese citizens. BMW’s research staff in China, its largest market, is greater than in any country other than Germany.

The Beijing center will test more than 70 vehicles across China this year. Total mileage for the fleet is expected to be 5 million km (3.1 million miles).

Earlier this week, BMW received permission to test autonomous vehicles on public roads in Shanghai. The company says it is the first foreign carmaker to be approved for such testing.

Initially BMW will test two specially equipped 7 Series sedans on a 5.6-km (3.5-mile) route in Shanghai. Another 7 self-driving cars are expected to be added to the fleet later this year.

BMW has been testing Level 3 vehicles under government supervision in Chengdu since 2016. The company plans to use the Shanghai tests to develop and refine Level 4 technologies. A team of 60 experts will support the program, including members from the Beijing, Shanghai and Shenyang facilities.