The BMW i4 electric vehicle
BMW said Thursday it plans to increase its investment in electrification faster than originally planned, although it plans to continue to offer internal combustion engine-powered vehicles with no specific end date in sight.
On a conference call to discuss the automaker’s half-year results, he refused to set a target end date for their production.
There is “no indication that the world is renouncing combustion engine vehicles,” said Vorstandsvorsitzender Oliver Zipse, a 30-year-veteran of the company.
Sales for petrol- and diesel-powered vehicles remain strong, particularly in the United States of America and China, the company said.
The German automaker said that it was close to hitting its target of 15% for battery-electric vehicle sales this year, a figure higher than Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. BMW reported that the share of all-electric cars out of the total volume was 14.1%, compared to Mercedes and Porsche at 10% and 11.2%, respectively.
BMW struck a cautious stone on the state of the global economy. With respect to sales, it forecast growth in the European automotive market, robust sales in the United States and slight growth in China for the remainder of the year,
The Bavarian automaker’s portfolio of EVs includes the i4, i5, and i7 sedans and the iX SUV.
(Photo: Accura Media Group)
