Global Automakers Joining the Electrification Competition Race

BMW and Audi Unveil Mid- to Long-Term Electric Vehicle Strategies

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] The global automotive industry is increasingly joining the 'electrification' competition. According to industry sources on the 21st, BMW Group recently unveiled detailed mid- to long-term electrification plans at the 2020 performance and future corporate strategy online conference held at its headquarters in Munich, Germany.

Oliver Zipse, Chairman of BMW Group, stated, "BMW Group will recover as quickly as possible to pre-COVID-19 levels while moving further ahead for the future," adding, "We have established a clear roadmap including electrification and digitalization to secure a competitive edge in preparation for the upcoming changes in the automotive industry within the next few years."

BMW "Forecasts cumulative sales of 2 million pure electric models by 2025"

BMW Group plans to launch a total of 13 new pure electric models by 2023. Currently, BMW sells three pure electric models: the i3, iX3, and MINI SE, and will release the iX and i4 this year. Additionally, the group is considering launching pure electric versions of popular models such as the 5 and 7 Series and the MINI Countryman within a few years.

BMW Group also aims to offer at least one pure electric model in about 90% of its entire product lineup by 2030. Through this, the group expects the annual growth rate of pure electric model sales to reach 50% on average until 2025, with cumulative sales exceeding 2 million units. BMW added, "By 2030, about 50% of the group's total sales will be pure electric vehicles," and "If demand grows as expected, we anticipate selling over 10 million pure electric vehicles worldwide over the next decade."

MINI will transform into BMW Group's first pure electric vehicle brand. After launching its last internal combustion engine model in 2025, MINI will release all models as pure electric vehicles. By 2027, more than 50% of MINI's sales will be pure electric models, and by the early 2030s, the entire lineup will consist solely of pure electric vehicles, according to BMW's plan.

Audi "Over one-third of vehicles sold by 2025 will be electric"

Audi is also concretizing its electrification plans. At a press conference held on the 18th, Audi announced that more than half of its new models this year will be electrified. The first model is the Audi e-tron GT, unveiled in Germany last February. Audi plans to introduce the Q4 e-tron and Q4 e-tron Sportback by mid-year and will launch its first electric vehicle in the compact segment. The plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) lineup will also continue to expand. By the end of the year, Audi plans to add PHEV models to half of its internal combustion engine vehicle lineup.

Audi also plans to offer more than 20 pure electric models and expand its PHEV portfolio by 2025. The company expects that by 2025, about one-third of the vehicles delivered to customers will be fully electric or hybrid vehicles.

To achieve this, Audi is strengthening its position in the Chinese market. Audi has established a new energy vehicle company, Audi FAW New Energy Vehicle Company, in cooperation with its local joint venture partner FAW, and plans to produce China-market exclusive electric vehicles in Changchun starting in 2024 based on the 'Premium Platform Electric (PPE)' jointly developed with Porsche.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.