Connectivity through BMW's ConnectedDrive has been a key part of the brand's vehicles since the concept was commercialized.

The automaker is a leading original equipment manufacturer, or OEM, of vehicle connectivity technology that provides innovative ConnectedDrive features and services.

BMW said its 10-year ConnectedDrive strategy service was an example of its commitment to Chinese customers.

The automaker said after launching its ConnectedDrive Store it became the first OEM to provide in-car online purchasing in China, creating a platform for future e-commerce possibilities and a sustainable, profitable telematics eco-system.

The ConnectedDrive Store offers convenience and flexibility to BMW drivers to personalize the connectivity functions and services of their vehicles.

China is the only market with the shopping-cart function in the ConnectedDrive Store, which was developed specifically for Chinese customers, with payment via Alipay and Tenpay rather than credit cards used in other markets.

With the current connectivity features, BMW aims to provide fully connected mobility and intelligent transport.

BMW ConnectedDrive is using Auto Shanghai to present a range of new features for the Chinese market.

The BMW ConnectedDrive Store offers BMW customers the opportunity to order their favorite services in their cars with iDrive.

BMW said it was the first premium auto brand to offer in-car application ordering with a payment function in the Chinese market.

Following the introduction of the BMW ConnectedDrive Store and Concierge Service, the automaker is now integrating three further apps into its cars for China: The BMW Social Connected app with text and voice messaging and information on Pay-off and Inquiry Systems, the audio streaming service Ximalaya, with more than 7 million music tracks and audio clips, and the music download service Xiami Music, which offers more than four million music tracks.

Vehicle connectivity is becoming more important to enrich driving experiences and enhance on-road safety, according to the automaker.

Highly automated driving, or HAD, is one area of the future of vehicle connectivity.

BMW said as it includes more partially automated driving functions in its vehicles, such as the Parking Assistant and the Traffic Jam Assistant, HAD is the vision for the next step in BMW's driver assistant technology.

BMW and Internet giant Baidu are cooperating to develop a viable solution for HAD models and relevant services in the Chinese market. They said this would include areas such as vehicle operation, driving strategy, maps, backend infrastructure and legal and safety clarifications. The target is: Highly automated driving on Chinese roads.

yangcheng@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 04/20/2015 page4)