German BMW and Samsung SDI have established a cooperative relations in the area of EVs, including batteries.

On 14th July, BMW and Samsung SDI, represented by Klaud Draeger, President of Purchasing at BMW and Sang-Jin Park, President of SDI, signed an MOU for cooperation in EV businesses at the BMW Youngjong-do Driving Center

Both companies are expecting to set up a wide range of cooperative relations through the MOU in supplying SDI’s batteries and marketing BMW’s EVs.

BMW agreed to install Samsung SDI’s batteries in the pure EV i3 and Plug-in Hybrid i8, while Samsung SDI will purchase BMW i3 as company cars and Samsung Electronics’ CEO Jae-Yong Lee will personally buy i8. As such, the collaborative relations have already been paved strongly.

Especially BMW is targeting to sell 250 units of EVs in Korea this year and to increase twice to 500 units next year, for which they will actively utilize the relations with Samsung Group.

BMW Korea is currently planning to expand EV charging facilities in cooperation with E Mart.

Samsung SDI is also pouring their resources for battery businesses through merger of Cheil Textile, and so the collaboration with BMW will be a thruway to catch up its rival, LG Chemical.

In addition, Samsung is reviewing to buy BMW EVs as company cars for its affiliates, and also to install charging stations at the underground parking lots of Seocho office building.

Samsung SDI, in particular, added two new assembly lines of batteries at the Ulsan plant in order to meet the sharply increasing demand for vehicle batteries, and is considering to install more lines this year.

They are also expanding their supply of batteries to Chrysler, Mahindra & Mahindra, VW, Ford, etc. in addition to BMW.