BMW Group Korea is taking the lead in building Korea's automobile infrastructure through facility investments in logistics and research and development (R&D). To establish future mobility, it is also accelerating the expansion of electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
According to the industry on the 5th, BMW Group Korea plans to invest an additional 65 billion won in the BMW Regional Distribution Center (RDC) by 2027 to expand facilities. In addition to expanding by about 31,000㎡ (about 9,389 pyeong), it will establish a dedicated warehouse for electric vehicle batteries.
The BMW parts logistics center was established in 2017 as the largest among BMW's overseas subsidiaries and the largest among imported car brands in Korea. It currently manages more than 60,000 types of parts and supplies them to dealerships nationwide.
BMW Group Korea is also steadily increasing its domestic R&D infrastructure. In Apr. last year, it transferred and expanded the R&D center that had been at the BMW Driving Center on Yeongjongdo, Incheon, to Cheongna International City in Incheon, and newly opened it as BMW Group R&D Center Korea.
It is the only one among premium imported car brands to be built as a separate single-story building. Inside, in addition to office space, it is equipped with various test labs, including maintenance and test rooms, a certification test room, an EV charger test building, and laboratories.
As demand for electric vehicles gradually recovers, the expansion of charging infrastructure is also continuing. To date, BMW Group Korea has installed about 2,500 chargers nationwide, and by the end of this year it plans to install about 500 more, building a public charging infrastructure totaling 3,000 units.
It is also seeking shared growth through purchases of parts from domestic corporations. It is purchasing a variety of parts, including advanced components such as electric vehicle batteries and displays, from about 30 partners including Samsung SDI, Samsung Display, LG Group, Hankook Tire, and Sebang Global Battery. Cumulative purchases from 2010 to 2024 amount to about 32 trillion won.
Earlier, Samsung SDI has been supplying high-voltage batteries for 9 out of 11 BMW electric vehicle models sold in Korea, including the New i7. For the New MINI Countryman, released in Jun. last year, it worked with Samsung Display to equip the automobile industry's first circular OLED display.
A BMW Group Korea official said, "Marking the 30th anniversary of our subsidiary's establishment this year, we have gone beyond being a simple foreign corporation to become a true Korean partner by contributing to Korea's growth and the creation of public value," and added, "We will focus on social responsibility and long-term investment over short-term results to create a sustainable social contribution model."