According to Reuters, BMW reported on 15 March that the company expected over 50% of new sales to be all-electric vehicles.
This is well ahead of its 2030 target. The company also hinted that a hydrogen-powered car could be going into production in the second half of the decade.
The carmaker forecast slightly higher deliveries and an 8%-10% margin for the year, up from its 7%-9% target in 2022, but cautioned that it still expected high costs from supply chain troubles and had not factored in a deep recession in its key markets into its outlook.
BMW finance chief Nicolas Peter, who is due to retire later this year, said he expected energy and chip supply to stabilise but still predicted significant cost burdens from logistics bottlenecks and high raw material prices.
The company said it planned to keep prices stable, after years of dealing with rising costs by passing them on to customers.
The forecast chimes with a broadly cautious tone across the auto industry hoping for a stronger 2023 but still keenly aware of supply chain problems, high inflation in Europe and uncertainty over China's post-pandemic economic recovery.
Still, car makers across the board were optimistic about the growth of their battery-electric vehicle segment, with BMW predicting a fourth of new sales would be all-electric by 2025, rising to a third by 2026 - an ambitious leap from the 1-in-11 ratio seen last year.
One of the most prominent advocates among carmakers of hydrogen fuel-cell technology as a worthwhile option alongside battery-powered cars, Chief Executive Oliver Zipse said he could also envisage a hydrogen-powered vehicle going into production by mid-decade.
Key to making that happen is an expansion of the hydrogen-fuelling network, which was mainly in the hands of the heavy vehicle transport industry, development chief Frank Weber added at a press conference dedicated to the company's annual results.
"We see hydrogen-electric vehicles as a meaningful complement to e-mobility, even with something of a time lag," Zipse said.
The BMW iX5 Hydrogen test vehicle, with a range of 500 km and an ability to refuel in three to four minutes, was being tested in various countries, BMW said in a statement.
In a demonstration of a purpose-driven partnership, GAC Motor South Africa has joined forces with the Real Madrid Foundation South Africa as its official mobility partner – a collaboration dedicated to creating real opportunities for young people through the transformative power of football and education.
Maserati addressed recent developments in the South African market regarding unauthorised parties claiming to be official Maserati dealers and service centres. These claims are both false and misleading to customers, and we consider this to be a matter of serious concern.
Following the recent international awareness month of driving while distracted (DWD), positive news from the City of Cape Town has been shared. The City revealed that between July 2022 and June 2024, impoundments of cellphones reduced by 16%. Cellphone-related offences also dropped by 11.5%.
Advertisement
Advertisement
A light on my car’s dashboard came on, and instead of fixing the problem, I waited for the bulb to burn out. Crisis solved.
Jarod Kintz
JLR has hired 50 specialists to maximise the resilience of new electric-vehicle supply chains and uphold ethical standards, amid ongoing geopolitical uncertainty as it transforms to deliver its next generation of pure electric models across all its brands by 2030.
The first, all-EV courier company, has charged its batteries and is ready for business, says Alex Staniland owner of Xpress, with an eye on innovation and gaps in the market.
As new-energy vehicles become mainstream, drivers are placing growing importance not just on range, but on the safety of what lies beneath — the electric powertrain system that powers the journey.
