Photo/Zhang Jian (NBD)

BMW Group and Mercedes-Benz announced on November 30 that BMW Brilliance and Mercedes-Benz (China) Investment have signed an agreement to form a 50:50 joint venture to operate a supercharging network in China. The establishment and operation of the joint venture are waiting for approval. 

The joint venture plans to build at least 1,000 supercharging stations and 7,000 charging piles in China by 2026. The first batch of stations will begin operation in 2024 in major Chinese cities.

The joint venture's charging network will be open to the public. In addition, the joint venture plans to purchase renewable energy electricity whenever possible. BMW and Mercedes-Benz customers will be able to enjoy exclusive services such as online reservation and instant charge.

According to official data, as of October 31, 2023, more than 600 BMW authorized dealers in China have installed charging facilities. The BMW public charging network in China has more than 580,000 charging piles, including 320,000 direct current fast-charging piles, covering more than 320 cities. In 2023, BMW launched its supercharging station project, which is open to all-electric vehicles. Since August, the supercharging station network has covered nine major cities and is expected to have about 50 stations by the end of 2023. BMW also plans to launch a new direct current smart charging wallbox next year.

BMW and Mercedes-Benz said that the joint venture will leverage the companies' global and China charging operating experience and insights into the Chinese electric vehicle market to tailor a fast, convenient, and reliable charging solution for Chinese customers. The companies hope that the cooperation will further improve the customer experience of public charging.