58 BMW Group Report 2024 To Our Stakeholders Combined Management Report Group Financial Statements Responsibility Statement and Auditor’s Report Remuneration Report Other Information Overview of the BMW Group Furthermore, they are all powered by 100% electricity from re- newable sources1. In addition to the BMW Group, Mercedes- Benz, Ford, Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, Hyundai, Kia and BlackRock are all involved in the long-established IONITY joint venture. IONITY offers an efficient, high-power charging network for electric vehicles right across Europe. The BMW Group expanded its cooperation arrangements aimed at expanding charging infrastructure in the USA and China in the reporting year. In late 2023, the BMW Group jointly founded IONNA together with General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mer- cedes-Benz and Stellantis. The partners are working together with the aim of establishing a public charging network in the USA and Canada. Toyota joined IONNA as an additional partner in July 2024. The aim is to install at least 30,000 charging points in cities, towns and along major transport routes. The first charg- ing stations opened in late 2024. On 4 March 2024, BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. (BBA) and Mercedes-Benz China founded Beijing IONCHI New Energy Technology Ltd. with a view to developing the charging infra- structure in the Chinese market. BBA will hold a 50% stake in the founded entity. With the new charging infrastructure in the con- text of the new Chinese joint venture, the BMW Group is meeting its charging commitment in its three most important markets. With this aim in mind, at least 1,000 charging stations with around 7,000 charging points are to be installed by the end of 2026. The network will be open to drivers of all brands. The first charging stations went into operation as early as 2024 in regions with a high density of electrified vehicles. A Plug&Charge function was added to other BMW models in the reporting year for public charging in which both authentication and billing are carried out automatically by connecting the vehicle to the charging system. Using the so-called multi-contract func- tionality, individual driving electricity tariff contracts from various providers can also be stored digitally within the vehicle to facili- tate the use of charging stations from different operators. The BMW Group also promotes the use of renewable energy. For each charging process conducted via BMW and MINI Charging, the equivalent amount of energy consumed is fed into the power grid as electricity from renewable sources, which is certified via energy attribute certificates (EACs) as recognised proofs of origin. A thriving culture of inspiration and innovation Good ideas often emerge when different partners work together. According to this principle, we focus on collaborations in which the BMW Group complements its strengths with those of estab- lished partners and innovation drivers such as start-ups. The global network of BMW Group Technology Offices is also making an essential contribution in this regard, enabling the BMW Group to expand its innovative strength on a continuous basis. The Technology Offices are strategically positioned worldwide and focus on key hotspots of technology and innovation. The po- tential of new technologies is therefore being explored in pilot projects and transferred to the Group’s centralised teams. Whether manufacturing, developing smart city solutions or work- ing on the mobility of the future, these Technology Offices are driving forward innovations that benefit the Group in all its lines of business. Global dialogue with start-ups is an important means for the BMW Group to gain impetus. ↗ BMW i Ventures invests in technol- ogy start-ups and the ↗ BMW Startup Garage serves as the BMW Group’s venture client unit and is tasked with searching for innovations that represent a significant benefit for products, ser- vices, systems and processes. The aim of the programme is to evaluate and empower start-ups to become suppliers and part- ners. The trend research conducted by the technology offices enables the BMW Group to anticipate the technological developments of tomorrow. The results are made publicly available in the ↗ Trend Radar where scientific institutions, start-ups, but also potential partners can make use of them. When it opened in Silicon Valley in 1998, the BMW Group Tech- nology Office USA was the Group’s first research and develop- ment facility to be established outside of Munich. Originally based in Palo Alto, the tech office moved to its current location in Mountain View in 2011. Today, the Mountain View team is part of a global network of BMW tech offices strategically located in key technology hotspots around the world. They all play a crucial role in the BMW Group’s open approach to innovation. Apart from the locations in Silicon Valley and Munich, the worldwide network also includes Seoul, Shanghai, Tel Aviv and Tokyo. 1 See ↗ Glossary for a definition of electricity from renewable sources. 2 ↗ Consumption and Carbon Disclosures. Vehicle footprint – transparent vehicle data The BMW Group intends to use the ↗ Vehicle footprint to make its sustain- ability performance more transparent at product level. Vehicle footprints provide a quick and comprehensive insight into material sustainability matters, including social sustainability. Vehicle footprint reports are now available for ten BMW and five MINI models. 2