The BMW Group announced its performance in 2022 and corporate strategy for the future at its annual press conference held at its headquarters in Munich, Germany, on the 15th.
Anticipating significant growth in 2023, the BMW Group highlighted that its electric vehicle models will be a core growth driver this year, particularly focusing on the high-end premium segment with the 7 Series, X7, and the Rolls-Royce family.
Last year, the BMW Group sold approximately 215,000 fully electric models, more than double the previous year, and announced plans to strengthen its role as a pioneer in the e-mobility sector. It expects that 15% of its total sales in 2023 will be electric vehicles and forecasts that by 2026, one in three cars sold will be electric.
This year, the all-new BMW 5 Series, along with its fully electric version, the BMW i5, will debut, marking that BMW will have fully electric models in nearly all major segments. By the end of the year, the fully electric SAV, the BMW iX2, is set to launch, and next year, the first fully electric touring version of the BMW 5 Series will expand its electric model lineup.
The MINI brand is on a path to become a fully electric brand starting in the early 2030s. The MINI Concept Aceman, unveiled last summer, provides insights into the future MINI electric vehicle lineup. This new concept car for the premium small car segment introduces a completely new design without chrome and leather.
This year, production of the new MINI Countryman will start at the BMW Group Leipzig plant.
The new MINI Countryman is expected to offer both a fully electric drivetrain and combustion engine options. Additionally, a limited edition fully electric open-top model, the MINI Cooper SE Convertible, will be available.
BMW’s new platform, the Neue Klasse, designed exclusively for fully electric drivetrains, features three key elements: ✔ entirely newly developed wiring harness and new UX/UI concept ✔ significantly improved efficiency in high-performance electric drivetrains and batteries ✔ a new level of sustainability throughout the entire lifecycle. This technology will form the basis of all BMW’s future lineups.
This autumn, the BMW Group will present detailed plans for the Neue Klasse at the ‘IAA Mobility 2023’ event in Munich.
Regular production of the Neue Klasse is set to begin in the second half of 2025 at a new dedicated plant in Debrecen, Hungary, with production also starting in the Munich plant by 2026. The Munich plant is currently undergoing a comprehensive modernization for Neue Klasse production.
The Neue Klasse will be introduced in popular models, including Sports Activity Vehicles (SAV) and the 3 Series sedan, and over two years from the production start date, more than six Neue Klasse models will be produced across BMW Group’s global production network.
BMW Group Chairman Oliver Zipse stated, “The BMW Group’s future-oriented technology and the Neue Klasse will be key success factors in the times to come.”
Earlier this year at CES, the BMW Group presented the concept car BMW i Vision Dee, featuring an advanced head-up display that shows various information across the entire windshield. From 2025, this technology will be first integrated into the Neue Klasse models under the name ‘BMW Panoramic Vision.’
Additionally, to contribute to carbon dioxide reduction in future mobility, the BMW Group aims to gradually enhance hydrogen fuel cell-based drivetrains starting from the late 2020s.
In February, the BMW Group unveiled the pilot model, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen. Featuring high-performance fuel cells and optimized batteries, the BMW iX5 Hydrogen showcases a distinct drive system available globally. It can travel 504 km on a single hydrogen charge according to WLTP criteria, and it takes just 3 to 4 minutes to refuel hydrogen.
Currently, the BMW Group is continuously developing hydrogen fuel cell technology as an additional option for the sustainable next-generation mobility market, with plans to introduce hydrogen fuel cell technology in production vehicles starting in the late 2020s.
Despite a challenging business environment last year, the BMW Group concluded 2022 as a successful fiscal year with increases in revenue and net profit.
The sales volume recorded 2,399,632 units, a decrease of 4.8% compared to the previous year, with the share of electric models, including fully electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, accounting for 18.1% (a total of 433,792 units, an increase of 32.1% from the previous year). The group’s revenue soared to 142.61 billion euros, representing a 28.2% increase from the previous year.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr