BMW i3, First Model to Ramp Up EV Production in China

As confirmed by China Association of Automotive Manufactures, China sold almost a quarter of EVs or mostly powered with batteries within five months in 2022. 

As BMW’s third car facility hub in China, the Lydia Plant is producing 830,000 vehicles from 700,0000 in 2021 that shall increase BMW's annual output in the world's biggest auto market region. 

According to Germany’s BMW, the Lydia plant is in the north eastern city of Shenyang and constructed to produce battery-powered electric cars that is according to market demand on its flexible manufacturing lines. 

BMW i3, a pure electric mid-sized sports sedan is the first model to start its production lines and boosts the range of its EV models especially Chinese buyers in the next 13 years. 

Currently, Tesla and Chinese automakers such as BYD is dominating fast-pacing EV market in China as recorded with total sales twice as many in 2021. 

With the booming EV industry making names and numbers in this era, car marques such as General Motors are dropping sales. 

In 2021, General Motors sold below 6.3 million vehicles which compares to 2020, the company achieved 6.83 million sold units in 2020, indicating a decline of around eight percent year-over-year sales volume. 

Apart from that, mega automaker Volkswagen also dealing with similar situation as due to global semiconductor shortages, sold units of vehicle dropped by 6.3 percent to 8.6 million last year. 

The facility hub in China is getting RM9.87 billion (US$2.24 billion) investment as the company decided to speed up the EV production lines. 

Sources: REUTERS