BMW Group Creates New "Zinoro" Brand to Build EVs – Debuts in November

MONDAY, APRIL 15, 2013 |

Since China as a country, and its road networks along with it, underwent a drastic process of modernization, and most of the work was done with innovative methods, EVs seem to have also found their place in the People’s Republic. Used by government and city officials, the police and taxi drivers, all-electric vehicles are already seeing active duty, and their numbers are only set to grow.

BMW wants to tap into this niche, but it is not going to do so under its own name. In fact, it’s not even their ‘i’ sub-brand, but an altogether new joint-venture created with their local partners Brilliance Auto, called Zinoro (or Zhinuo), which reportedly means promise in the local tongue.

According to a report from China's People's Daily, the brand’s first offering, which will be a crossover-like model, will make its debut in November, at the Guangzhou auto show, while arriving on the Chinese market in the first quarter of 2014.

There is also a possibility of it being exported to other markets, but it isn’t mentioned which those may be (perhaps Norway, California?).

The move to have a China-only electric car is not new, and Nissan's own interpretation of the idea, the Venucia e30 (basically a Nissan Leaf) is set to go into production in 2015, and until then a pilot program for promoting the car no fewer than 15 cities, in cooperation with the local governments.

Note: BMW i3 and X1 EV/Hybrid prototype pictured

By Andrei Nedelea

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