Samsung & BMW enhances ties in EV business

CIOTechOutlook Team | Monday, 19 December 2022, 03:15 IST

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The relationship between Samsung and BMW in the electric vehicle (EV) industry is getting stronger.

BMW CEO Oliver Zipse and Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong had a meeting at the German automaker's driving facility in Yeongjongdo, Incheon west of Seoul. In the area of mobility, Lee has been enhancing Samsung's international network. Six months had passed since Lee and Zipse first met at the German headquarters of BMW.

Samsung At the BMW Driving Center, Lee reportedly had a meeting with senior management representatives of the German carmaker and got to see the BMW i7, an electric vehicle version of the company's 7 Series flagship sedan. The most recent flagship EV is outfitted with a high-performance P5 battery from Samsung SDI.

Choi Yoon-ho, CEO of Samsung SDI, Jean-Philippe Parain, senior vice president of BMW, and Han Sang-yun, president of BMW Group Korea, were also present at the meeting.

In order to enhance the range of EVs, the P5 battery features a 20% increase in energy density and a 20% decrease in material costs when compared to current EV battery cells. The P5 battery cell is used by not only the BMW i7 EV but also the iX and i4 electric vehicles, according to Samsung.

"Being a part of BMW makes me very happy. Let's keep building our partnership between the two businesses "According to Samsung, Lee stated during the meeting.

Zipse responded by saying, "One of the most significant collaborators in BMW's electrification is Samsung. We find it extremely significant that Samsung's management is here with the i7, which uses our most recent technology."

BMW and Samsung have been working together for 13 years. The two businesses began working together on EV batteries and jointly developing EVs in 2009. Lee joined the initiative early on through communication with BMW management, and he has been instrumental in advancing their EV cooperation.

Samsung SDI's high-performance batteries are used in EVs starting with the i3, BMW's first EV, which was released in 2013. Later EVs will include the i8, the i8, the iX, and the i4 by the year 2021.

Their partnership extended beyond the provision of battery cells, and they started working together to develop EV technologies in 2014.

The CEO of Samsung SDI stated that the company was "glad to be able to join the development of the new i7 luxury EV sedan" as a strategic partner of BMW. "We'll collaborate to present new battery and EV standards."

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