BMW Brilliance (officially BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd.) is an automobile manufacturing company headquartered in Shenyang, China and a joint venture between BMW (as majority holder) and Brilliance Auto. Its principal activity is the production, distribution and sale of BMW passenger cars in mainland China.
Company type | Joint venture | ||||||
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Industry | Automotive | ||||||
Founded | 27 March 2003 | ||||||
Headquarters | , China | ||||||
Area served | China | ||||||
Key people | Jochen Goller (Chief Executive Officer and President) Lei Xiaoyang (Chief Financial Officer and Senior Deputy President)[1] | ||||||
Products | Automobiles | ||||||
Owners |
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Number of employees | ~3,900 | ||||||
Divisions | Zinoro | ||||||
Chinese name | |||||||
Simplified Chinese | 华晨宝马汽车有限公司 | ||||||
Traditional Chinese | 華晨寶馬汽車有限公司 | ||||||
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Website | www.bmw-brilliance.cn |
The BMW Brilliance Zinoro all-electric crossover, based on the BMW X1 (E84), is the first product of BMW Brilliance's new brand and the first new energy vehicle (NEV) from a Chinese premium manufacturer. Since early 2014 the Zinoro 1E is available for leasing only in Beijing and Shanghai.
On 27 March 2003 BMW and Brilliance Auto agreed to form a joint venture to produce BMW cars for the Chinese market, with BMW holding a 50 per cent stake, Brilliance Auto 40.5 per cent and the Shenyang municipal government 9.5 per cent.[2][3] BMW and Brilliance agreed to invest an initial €450 million (US$483 million) in the venture.[3] The first Chinese-made BMW, a BMW 325, was sold in October 2003.[4]
In April 2009 BMW Brilliance announced that it would construct a second automobile assembly plant in China.[5] Construction of the plant began in Shenyang in June 2010, with a planned cost of US$73.53 million and a production capacity of 100,000 units.[6] Production at the plant began in May 2012.[7]
In January 2011 BMW Brilliance announced that it would begin Chinese production of a BMW 5 series electric hybrid car later that year.[8]
In 2013, BMW Brilliance opened a research and development centre. It was expanded in 2020, making it BMW's largest R&D centre outside of Germany.[9]
In October 2018, BMW announced that it would increase its stake from 50% to 75%, making BMW the first foreign carmaker to take majority control of its joint venture in China.[10]
In February 2022, BMW acquired a majority 75% stake in BMW Brilliance with Brilliance indirectly owning the remaining 25% of the company.[11]
BMW Brilliance currently produces the following vehicles:[9]
Zinoro is a vehicle brand under BMW Brilliance specializing in electric vehicles.
Calendar year | Total sales (vehicles produced in China) |
---|---|
2005 | N/A |
2006 | 22,500[13] |
2007 | 30,600[13] |
2008 | N/A |
2009 | 44,888[14] |
2010 | N/A |
2011 | 108,189[15] |
2012 | N/A |