BMW shows more EV concepts, still can’t build EVs in any significant quantity

[mspohr]

I think you are underestimating the investment traditional automakers have in reliability, safety, manufacturing efficiency and service supply chain. Those are also important industrial skill sets.

Nice to have but if they can't design and build an EV, useless.

 

[SMAlset]

Another example of why Krueger is out: The first electric Mini helps explain why BMW’s CEO just quit

 

[mspohr]

The first electric Mini helps explain why BMW’s CEO just quit

BMW has unveiled the first all-electric Mini Cooper. Coming in early 2020, the car will start at around $35,000 and travel 235 kilometers (146 miles) per charge. Compared to similarly priced EVs on the road now with more than 200 miles of range, like the Kona Electric or the Tesla Model 3, the Mini’s mileage figure looks paltry. It will only look worse next year as more capable electric cars hit the road, and the Mini gets a more realistic EPA mileage rating. It’s a curious thing to see from a company that was early to electric cars, and it helps explain why BMW’s CEO Harald Krueger resigned last week.

 

[Eno Deb]

The first electric Mini helps explain why BMW’s CEO just quit

BMW has unveiled the first all-electric Mini Cooper. Coming in early 2020, the car will start at around $35,000 and travel 235 kilometers (146 miles) per charge. Compared to similarly priced EVs on the road now with more than 200 miles of range, like the Kona Electric or the Tesla Model 3, the Mini’s mileage figure looks paltry.

Don't know about the Kona, but the least expensive Model 3 costs 12,000 Euros more than the Mini in Germany. I wouldn't call that similarly priced. If you convert the net Euro price without VAT to USD, it would be about $29,000.

 

[mblakele]

More coverage of recent BMW news:

The Economist
BMW tries to turn a corner—and loses its boss
Re-engineering the German carmaker for the age of electric vehicles, self-driving cars and ride-sharing will take some doing

It would be unfair to pin all the blame on the outgoing boss. All carmakers must contend with slowing sales in China, trade tiffs and costly investments required to cope with tighter emissions rules and upheavals such as electric vehicles (EVs), self-driving cars, carsharing and other mobility services. Daimler, the maker of Mercedes and BMW’s arch-rival, has also seen its margins shrink and last month issued its third profit warning in a year. But Mr Krüger has been slow to adapt BMW to changing trends in technology and consumer taste. Blingier Mercedes have outshone conservative Beemers, and Daimler overtook BMW as the world’s biggest premium carmaker in 2017. Early to the spot the craze for suvs, BMW has failed to exploit it; for every ten cars it makes, six are saloons, the market for which is shrinking fast. For all Mr Krüger’s talk of bmw as a “tech company” it has not produced a cutting-edge EV since the i3 and i8, two innovative vehicles introduced under Mr Reithofer. Daimler, Audi and Jaguar all have.​

Not to mention Tesla. But the article doesn't mention Tesla. At all.

 

[mspohr]

BMW's Three Thinking Mistakes With The New Mini Electric

But even then, introducing a new electric car in 2020 with a range of no more than 235km is just not good enough. One would expect better from a respected brand such as BMW that already introduced its i3 a couple of years ago. But as we can infer from BMW's press release and from their spokespersons, BMW apparently thinks the Mini Electric is a great car.

Despite the big announcement and despite the Mini Electric being a nicely-designed car for a seemingly reasonable price, these three thinking mistakes indicate that the Mini Electric just isn't a good car. It might have been if it had been introduced two or three years ago. But not anymore.

 

[mspohr]

The walking dead...

BMW to stand by combustion engines for at least 30 more years: 'Most of the US does not need BEVs'

BMW’s head of Research and Development Klaus Froehlich does not have any plans to push his company into the quickly growing electric vehicle sector. In a recent interview, the BMW exec stated that he believes the various markets of the world simply do not have a real need for electric cars.

BMW has the i3 and the i8, but it seems that the company is in no rush to transition into a fully electric lineup despite the environmental urgency and growing appeal of electric vehicles to mainstream buyers. Froehlich stated in an interview with Automotive News that BMW will continue to make gas engines for at least 30 years more.

 

[Sean Wagner]

BMW will continue to make gas engines for at least 30 years more.

At least they'll know what hit them.

Maybe someone will be foolhardy enough to fork over a ton of cash for the name.

Not being feisty.

The transformation of classic automotive champions is almost impossible without state aid.

There's one last development cycle for ICE vehicle generations left to go.

Batteriemobilitätswerke?

 

[Curious George]

Not quite sure what some of you are talking about walking dead. BMW is in the top 3-4 EV producers in the world.
It will double the total electric cars it made in next 2 years.
It just handed out its half-millionth electric car last year. BMW has I think 3 to 4 times more electrified car models on road than Tesla.
Many people still like plug-in hybrids and they work great for German roads or long distance trips. Also less of a battery constraint,and still can save up to 90% of the CO2 emissions for daily driving.

BMW claims it has ‘half a million’ electric vehicles on the road

"“Now, we are stepping up the pace significantly: We aim to have one million electrified vehicles on the roads within two years. This is our contribution towards effective climate protection.”
Next year, the BMW X3 will become the first BMW Group vehicle available with four different drive train variants: efficient diesel, petrol, plug-in hybrid and pure electric.

Since late this year, the BMW Group’s electrified model line-up has also been joined by a further pure electric vehicle, the MINI Electric.
The more than 90,000 registered prospects indicate the high level of customer interest in the first pure electric MINI.

Extensive electromobility know-how’
Thanks to its years of e-mobility experience, the BMW Group has acquired extensive and sound knowledge in this area.
This provides the basis for the company to develop eDrive technology in-house, including the engine, power electronics and also the battery as well as the battery cells.

 

[nwdiver]

Not quite sure what some of you are talking about walking dead. BMW is in the top 3-4 EV producers in the world.
It will double the total electric cars it made in next 2 years.
It just handed out its half-millionth electric car last year. BMW has I think 3 to 4 times more electrified car models on road than Tesla.
Many people still like plug-in hybrids and they work great for German roads or long distance trips. Also less of a battery constraint,and still can save up to 90% of the CO2 emissions for daily driving.

BMW claims it has ‘half a million’ electric vehicles on the road

LOL! By most definitions 'electrified' isn't 'electric'. I can't refuel a hybrid from the Solar on my roof...

 

[Sean Wagner]

Not quite sure what some of you are talking about walking dead. BMW is in the top 3-4 EV producers in the world.

Full EVs are coming to ever lower price points, and government mandates are helping.

I currently can't see BMW pushing to make this come about faster, thereby improving their position among the pack. Which is why so many among their initial engineering team [the i3 and i8 guys] left. Also, for a global manufacturer, the company is a lightweight sizewise - they already are shrinking their engine portfolio due to ever higher compliance costs.

Separately, in a couple of years demand for classic cars will pretty suddenly evaporate [aka tipping point].
Remember the herd instinct, loss aversion, and information propagation.
People will put off buying a new car until they can make it a new or used EV, or very cheap new or used classic.

That's when all the legacy companies' problems will become acute - check their debts as well as their pension shortfalls.