A pilot zone for electric vehicles will be built at the Shanghai Expo venue after a partnership agreement between BMW China Automotive Trading Ltd, State Grid Shanghai Electric Power Co and Expo Shanghai Group.

The collaboration was announced on May 28 and will see 50 public charging pillars installed in the 5-square-kilometer zone that covers the expo axis and neighboring areas.

To date, 10 charging pillars have been installed for charging BMW electric vehicles and other brands.

BMW said the partnership would help the electric vehicle business grow in Shanghai and gain experience of charging facility construction, operation, management and related services.

The project also hopes to raise public awareness of electric vehicles and set a positive example in China.

Karsten Engel, president and CEO of BMW Group Region China, said BMW was leading individual e-mobility in terms of product and service.

"We not only produce the most innovative electric cars, but also offer our customers thoughtful home charging services.

" We will join hands with governments, energy companies, real estate developers and property management companies to construct charging facilities in communities and business areas," Engel said.

"BMW is looking forward to the demonstrative result of this project on public charging facility setups and electric vehicle business operation," he added.

Shanghai Electric Vehicle Co, a subsidiary of the State Grid Shanghai Electric Power Co, is a leading enterprise in running pilot electric vehicle projects and offering technologies, products and solutions for electric vehicle charging.

Wang Lu, deputy general manager of State Grid Shanghai Electric Power Co, said: "We count on tremendous support from the government to plan ahead and speed up public charging facility construction in the city. BMW as a collaborative partner gives us the benefit to strengthen technical cooperation in clean energy for e-mobility."

Xi Qunfeng, vice-president of Expo Shanghai Group said: "It is a rewarding attempt to set up an electric vehicle pilot zone inside the expo area and it satisfies the demand and positioning of the Shanghai Expo region."

As part of the cooperation, the BMW Brand Experience Center and the BMW 5S dealerships will have the charging pillars installed first.

BMW will offer long-term test drives of its electric cars to the public. The BMW i3 test drive was available to the public from May 30.

Test drive applications can be submitted to the BMW Brand Experience Center Shanghai through its service lines 021-60567801, the BMW China customer service line 400-800-6666, or the official Wechat "BMW China".

Apart from experiencing driving a zero emission car the brand experience center's Product Genius answers any questions regarding BMW i and the products, brand, history and culture.

The Shanghai Expo electric vehicle pilot zone will also start other trial projects related to the electric vehicle industry, like the e-card for vehicle charging and vehicle sharing.

The BMW i3 was designed as a pure battery electric vehicle and is characterized by a futuristic feel in the exterior and interior designs.

The model adopts the LifeDrive module and its passenger cell is made from lightweight carbon fiber-reinforced plastics.

The car has outstanding performance and handling. It accelerates from 0 to 60 km/h within 3.7 seconds. It is positioned as an ideal car for urban mobility, with a travel range up to 160 km and 285 km for the BMW i3 Range Extender version.

The BMW i3 will be officially rolled out into the Chinese market in September. Seven authorized BMW 5S dealerships in Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen and Shenyang are already equipped for the sale and service of BMW i products.

BMW Brand Experience Center Shanghai was founded in April 2013. It was the first BMW brand experience center in the world and marks the first step towards BMW's "Future Retail" plan in China.

The plan includes a series of moves to promote customer relations and service quality.

It includes innovative concepts and strategies to intensify the bond between customers and the BMW brand.

The experience center presents BMW's brand history, innovation and visions about the future.

zhuanti@chinadaily.com.cn