See excerpt from the statement of Oliver Zipse today:
The electromobility growth curve will continue to climb between 2025 and 2030:
Our BEVs will see average growth of more than 20 percent per year during this period. To this end, we will be launching a radically new product offering in 2025.
We call it – Die NEUE KLASSE – the NEW CLASS.
I’m sure the name sounds familiar to some of you. BMW made a similarly radical change in its product direction once before – back in the early 1960s. With its “rediscovery of the sporty mid-range car”, BMW experienced an unprecedented upswing for the coming decades. But, most of all, back then, it was about our mindset and sheer determination to change things. We are being just as bold and just as radical again today.
We are asking the question:
- What does a BMW need to be in 2030?
- What fits our customers?
- What does society need – and what does it demand?
For us, the NEUE KLASSE forms the nucleus of rethinking the car from the ground up. We are liberating ourselves from today’s segments and architectures. We are revolutionising the underlying logic of our product offering and combining it with a new vehicle architecture, based on the principle of e-mobility first. An electric drive train based on the hydrogen fuel cell could also be a part of this.
We see the NEUE KLASSE as a combination of:
- an entirely new IT and software architecture;
- a newly-developed electric drive train and battery generation;
- a new level of sustainability, geared towards a circular economy.
Digitisation, electrification and sustainability are the defining characteristics of the NEUE KLASSE.
Circular is already a USP for BMW. We have defined new efficiency standards for the models of the NEUE KLASSE. Resources are scarce and valuable. That is why we are purposely using secondary materials, such as recycled steel, plastics and aluminium.
This means a paradigm shift towards “secondary first” – wherever the quality and availability of materials allow. Circularity is both an aspiration and a promise for us. In developing the vehicles of the NEUE KLASSE, we are ensuring from the outset that the raw materials can be recycled at the end of their lifecycle for use in new vehicles. From “cradle to cradle”.
This is a much broader approach than simply a focus on climate protection. Through economic recycling, we are helping solve the world’s resource problems. No one can do it alone. The circular economy demands cross-sector collaborations. Look out for our vision vehicle at the IAA Mobility. It will provide a first glimpse of our approach to the circular economy and new cooperation models.
In addition to “e-mobility first”, the NEUE KLASSE also aspires to be “digital first”. We are developing a totally new kind of user experience, never before seen in a production vehicle. And, because every region of the world has different digital ecosystems, we are using regionally customisable technology stacks. They tailor the vehicle’s operating system perfectly to local conditions and update it constantly to ensure it is “always fresh”. Our customers can book and configure features throughout their vehicle's lifecycle. We will generate a significant share of our revenues in this way in the future.
The NEUE KLASSE will create a complete emotional experience and secure our long-term profitability. In terms of range and manufacturing costs, we aim to match the level of our state-of-the-art combustion-engine vehicles. The NEUE KLASSE underlines our clear commitment to achieve an EBIT margin within the target range of 8 to 10 percent.
One thing is already certain: The vehicles of the NEUE KLASSE will be true BMWs. They are designed to win over our customers and inspire them.
By 2030, at least 50 percent of our global sales will be fully electric. Over the next approximately ten years, we will be releasing a total of about ten million fully-electric vehicles onto the roads. How quickly each individual market gets there will depend on availability of charging infrastructure. In Asia, for instance, many countries plan the infrastructure from the start when constructing new buildings. Here, too, we want to make faster joint progress in Europe.
The NEUE KLASSE is our global product offering for the markets of the future. We will grow with this unique portfolio and we can handle the necessary complexity. We have confidence in our abilities. We think far into the future.
Our approach is tech-forward.
