BMW delays mass EV production on cost grounds

RedorDead

Reuters

March 22, 2018 13:28 CET

FRANKFURT -- BMW CEO Harald Krueger said the automaker will hold back the mass rollout of electric cars until 2020 because current fourth-generation EV technology is not profitable enough for volume production.

"We wanted to wait for the fifth generation to be much more cost competitive," Krueger told analysts in Munich on Thursday. "We do not want to scale up with the fourth generation," he said.

The cost advantage between BMW's fourth- and fifth-generation EV technology amounts to a "two-digit number," Krueger said. "If you want to win the race, you must be the most cost competitive in the segment, otherwise you cannot scale up the volume," he said.

Earlier this week, BMW said it will increase research and development spending to 7 billion euros ($8.6 billion) this year as part of efforts to bring 25 electrified models to market by 2025. Half of those models will be fully electric with an all-electric range of up to 700 km (435 miles), it said.

It also showed its i4 electric sedan, which will rival the Tesla Model S.

thierry14

Look at the state of that i4

Why do they want EV drivers to look like weirdos

I really hate German auto, would never give them another cent

80sDiesel

thierry14 wrote: »

Look at the state of that i4

Why do they want EV drivers to look like weirdos

I really hate German auto, would never give them another cent

Concept. Haters gotta hate i guess.

goz83

thierry14 wrote: »

Look at the state of that i4

Why do they want EV drivers to look like weirdos

I really hate German auto, would never give them another cent

Well it's a lot less hideous than the i3. Even the I-MiEV looks better.

BorneTobyWilde

thierry14 wrote: »

Look at the state of that i4

Why do they want EV drivers to look like weirdos

I really hate German auto, would never give them another cent

Looks ok to me. Futuristic .