Munich/Prague. Representatives of the BMW Group,
the Czech government and the Karlovary Vary region announced
construction of a new proving ground today in Prague. The roughly
500-hectare property will be developed in Sokolov in the Karlovary
Vary region, close to the German border town of Waldsassen and about
two-and-a-half hours’ drive from the BMW Group’s main development
site, the Research and Development Centre (FIZ), in Munich. The new
BMW Group proving ground, which will create several hundred jobs, is
slated to go into operation early in the next decade. Total
investment will be in the three-digit million-euro range.
Dr. Herbert Grebenc, BMW AG, Human Resources, Senior Vice President
Real Estate Management, Corporate Security, stated at the
announcement in Prague: “The BMW Group is at the vanguard of
technology. As an innovation driver, we aim to offer customers the
best, most emotional mobility experience and create digital
connections between people, vehicles and services. At the planned
proving facility in Sokolov, we will continue to advance
ground-breaking topics, such as electrification, digitalisation and
automated driving – for example, through safety-testing for
assistance systems.”
The BMW Group’s existing facilities in Aschheim, near Munich,
Miramas (France) and Arjeplog (Sweden) no longer have sufficient
capacity to meet testing requirements. The company has therefore
spent the past months exploring possible strategic locations in
Germany and neighbouring countries. Dr. Herbert Grebenc explained
the decision to locate in the Czech Republic, as follows: “We found
the ideal conditions and grounds we need for vehicle testing in
Sokolov. Opening our first development location in Eastern Europe
will create new opportunities and marks a milestone in the history
of our company. Working with the property owner Sokolovská uhelná
and all political representatives has been extremely positive so far
and is based on mutual trust.”
Tomáš Hüner, Czech Minister of Industry and Trade, said at the
announcement in Prague: “The government of the Czech Republic and
the BMW Group are preparing a joint cooperation agreement on the
investment announced today by the BMW Group in construction of a new
proving ground for future vehicle technologies in the Karlovy Vary
region. The government will deal with the draft of the specialized
aspects of that declaration soon. The Ministry of Industry and Trade
welcomes investments of this kind, which create highly-skilled and
specialised jobs and bring high added value for the Czech economy.”
Jana Vildumetzová, President of the Karlovary Vary region,
underlined the importance of the new BMW Group proving ground for
her region: “The plans of such a major investor as the German
automobile manufacturer, the BMW Group, are very important to the
Karlovary Vary region. Our region is one of three in the Czech
Republic undergoing structural change. There is a lack of research,
development and innovation and we are struggling with a shortage of
jobs. The district of Sokolov will see a gradual decline in mining
in the future and people there will be looking for new challenges.
By creating several hundred jobs through construction of a proving
ground for automated driving, we are opening a new chapter in the
continued development of our region. This will open up attractive
new employment opportunities in development and related areas for
the people of Sokolov and the entire region. This project comes at
exactly the right time and we will do everything we can to ensure
that the Karlovary Vary region is a strong partner for the company
and provides full support throughout its implementation.”
Karel Kučera, CEO of CzechInvest, highlighted the significance of
the investment for the Czech Republic: “Today marks the successful
conclusion of two-and-a-half years of negotiations, involving more
than 200 people from various departments and institutions at
national and regional level on the Czech side. The new BMW Group
proving ground is a showcase for investments with high added value,
which the Czech Republic now represents and which have been a goal
of CzechInvest in recent years.”
New development campus in Unterschleißheim –
40 BMW 7
Series test vehicles for highly and fully-automated driving
The company already announced in December 2016 that it would be
concentrating its development expertise in vehicle connectivity and
automated driving at a new campus in Unterschleißheim near Munich.
Upon final completion, more than 2,000 staff will work at the new
location in areas from software development to road-testing with the
aim of developing the next steps towards fully-automated driving.
Agile teams working in close proximity – especially for
decision-making – define the new work structures. In 2017, to
coincide with the opening of the campus, a total of 40 BMW 7 Series
test vehicles for highly and fully-automated driving on motorways
and in urban settings have been built and tested. These vehicles
have been deployed at Intel (USA), Mobileye (Israel) and BMW Group
(Munich) locations.
BMW Group in the Czech Republic
The BMW Group sales network in the Czech Republic comprises 14
dealerships. The company has operated a sales office in Prague since
June 2006. In the first ten months of 2017, the BMW Group delivered
6,985 BMW and MINI brand vehicles (+18%) to customers in the Czech
Republic. Total BMW and MINI sales for 2016 reached 7,013 units
(+7.7%). Last year’s top-selling models included the BMW X5 (14.3%),
the BMW 5 Series (10.9%) and the BMW X1 (10.4%).
The BMW Group also supports major cultural activities in the Czech
Republic, including the International Film Festival in Karlovy Vary
and the International Music Festival in Český Krumlov.
Timeline – BMW Group proving grounds
1971 BMW Group opens
measurement facility in Aschheim near Munich
1986 BMW Group opens
testing ground in Miramas, southern France
2006 BMW Group opens
testing centre in Arjeplog, northern Sweden (about 55 km south of
the Arctic Circle)
since Sept. 2015 Under a temporary rental
agreement, the BMW Group uses sections of Hof-Plauen Airport for
vehicle tests (incl. testing of driver assistance systems).
Current photo material from the press conference to announce the
construction of new proving ground in the Czech Republic can shortly
be found under http://www.pressconferenceprague.bmwphotos.de/.
If you have any queries, please contact:
Corporate Communications
Saskia Eßbauer, Business and Finance Communications
Telephone: +49 89 382-18364
Fax: +49 89 382-24418
Saskia.Essbauer@bmw.de
Glenn Schmidt, Head of Business and Finance Communications
Telephone: +49 89 382-24544
Fax: +49 89 382-24418
Glenn.Schmidt@bmwgroup.com
Media website:
www.press.bmwgroup.com
Email: presse@bmw.de
The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the
BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles
and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility
services. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 31 production
and assembly facilities in 14 countries and has a global sales
network in more than 140 countries.
In 2016, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.367 million cars and
145,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax was
approximately € 9.67 billion on revenues amounting to € 94.16
billion. As of 31 December 2016, the BMW Group had a workforce of
124,729 employees.
The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term
thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore
established ecological and social sustainability throughout the
value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear
commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.
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