Borgward plans homecoming with Bremen plant, new electric BX7

The automobile manufacturer Borgward Group AG is staging a comeback, planning to build a production facility in its former home of Bremen, Germany.

The automaker produced around 1.2 million Borgward-, Lloyd- and Goliath-branded vehicles there from the 1920s until well into Germany's "economic miracle" era.

"Through our return to Bremen, we are linking the past with the future. We are continuing to write the history of Borgward," said Ulrich Walker, chairman of the board of management and CEO of Borgward Group AG, in Bremen on Oct 26.

The company is holding in-depth talks with potential production partners, property owners and the state of Bremen about the final location of the plant, which will be decided sometime in the weeks ahead.

Construction of the new plant, which will have a production capacity of 10,000 vehicles per year, is scheduled to begin in early 2017. Production will start a year later.

The Bremen plant will base the technological aspects of its manufacturing system, processes and equipment on the German government's Industry 4.0 strategy and standards.

The first model to be produced in Bremen will be an electric version of the Borgward BX7. The company, which aims to become the main European rival to Tesla Motors Inc, also plans to manufacture electric and plug-in hybrid versions of the BX5 series and other models in the future. The plan is for the plant to produce all kinds of models by 2025.

Walker said: "By taking this step, we are demonstrating our commitment to Germany as an industrial location and to our own heritage. Naturally, our return here is also of symbolic significance, as today marks the beginning of a successful cooperation between the city, the state and Borgward."

Christian Borgward, the grandson of company founder Carl F.W. Borgward and chairman of the group's supervisory board, is as enthusiastic as Walker about the decision to return to Bremen.

More than 10 years ago, he founded an initiative for the revival of the brand, an objective that he is now finally seeing fulfilled.

"The unveiling of the revived Borgward brand in Geneva last year, the presentation of the premiere BX7 model at the International Motor Show in Frankfurt, the exhibition of the BX5 and BX6 models in Geneva tthis spring, and now the decision to create a production facility in the state of Bremen: It is indescribable how impressively and dynamically my grandfather's work is now being continued."

The Bremen facility will cooperate closely with the Borgward plant in Beijing's Miyun district, which was also constructed according to the latest Western standards.

The Miyun manufacturing facility, which was commissioned in mid-2016, will serve as the home plant for Borgward's emerging global production network.

The Chinese plant will collect and evaluate all the feedback and experiences from the company's various markets and production locations, develop solutions, and then forward this information within the business.

BX7 already a hit

The BX7 is a large mid-size sports utility vehicle. The 4.70-meter-long newcomer to this globally popular market has been a big hit since its launch in China, its first market, in June.

To date, over 20,000 units have been ordered in China. Borgward said the new SUV has impressed Chinese customers with its innovative all-wheel drive system and its multiple interaction system, which is the most advanced online communication and entertainment system on the market.

Outstanding safety is guaranteed by the company's intelligent and comprehensive PROTECT occupant protection concept, which uses pioneering vehicle handling and supportive driver assistance systems to help prevent collisions.

Borgward said if a collision does occur, however, a very strong passenger compartment with precisely defined deformation zones, as well as passive restraint systems, provide reliable protection and can significantly mitigate the consequences of an accident.

lifusheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 11/07/2016 page18)