BMW, Mercedes join hands to run charging network in China

BMW Brilliance Automotive and Mercedes-Benz Group China are to establish a 50-50 joint venture to operate a charging network in China, said the two companies on Thursday.

They said the first stations are planned to begin operations in 2024. The joint venture is expected to build a network of at least 1,000 high-power charging stations with around 7,000 high-power charging piles by the end of 2026.

The two premium German carmakers said the charging network will be open to the broader public as well, while BMW and Mercedes car owners will have access to a series of features, such as plug and charge and online reservation.

They added that the joint venture will procure electricity generated from renewable sources, where conditions allow, to create a sustainable and eco-friendly charging experience.

Both of the two companies are revving up efforts to go electric in China and across the world.

China has been the world's largest market for new energy vehicles since 2015.

Deliveries of such vehicles reached 7.28 million units in the country from January to October, accounting for 30.4 percent of total new car sales in the same period, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.