BMW Group and China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Co. Ltd. (CATL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to deepen cooperation on battery supply chain decarbonization and cross-border data exchange, as Germany’s chancellor visited China with a business delegation.
The agreement focuses on pilot projects using the Catena-X automotive data ecosystem to enable trusted data sharing and carbon footprint accounting under the emerging Battery Passport framework. The initiative expands a partnership between the two companies that began in 2012, moving beyond battery supply toward broader collaboration on sustainability and digital standards.
BMW Chairman Oliver Zipse, who accompanied Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the trip, highlighted the importance of cooperation with China for the automaker’s global strategy and innovation efforts, according to the company.
The partnership comes as BMW prepares to introduce new electric models tailored to the Chinese market. The company said its first locally produced “New Generation” vehicle — the BMW iX3 Long Wheelbase, developed jointly by German and Chinese teams — will make its global debut at the Beijing Auto Show in April.
CATL remains the world’s largest electric vehicle battery supplier. Data from market research firm SNE Research showed global EV battery installations reached 1,187 gigawatt-hours in 2025, a 31.7% increase from the previous year. CATL accounted for 464.7 GWh of that total, corresponding to a 39.2% market share, well ahead of competitors.
The agreement underscores efforts by automakers and battery producers to address environmental impacts across supply chains while meeting emerging regulatory requirements for transparency and carbon reporting.