A new report out of Germany suggests that the BMW Group is set to announce a major shift in its electric mobility strategy, in a bid to catch up with Tesla in the US market.
German daily Handelsblatt reports that the automaker will soon offer – in addition to the i3 – electric versions of its 3 Series sedan and X4 compact crossover, and even a battery-electric MINI variant.
A separate Reuters report says that the BMW board of management will skip the upcoming Paris Motor Show in an attempt to “break a deadlock” over whether to produce more electric vehicles.
“How does the company expand into the loss-making segment of electric cars and retain its industry-leading profitability? That’s essentially the question facing management now,” a source told Reuters.
The Handelsblatt report added that the BMW Group was also planning a “major restructuring of its executive board”, with the marketing and sales operations for the BMW and MINI brands set to merge.
The newspaper furthermore suggested that Nicolas Peter would replace Friedrich Eichiner as the group’s chief financial officer.
Elon Musk’s Tesla has received nearly 400 000 pre-orders for its upcoming Model 3 electric vehicle, seemingly prompting various automakers to accelerate their respective electric mobility strategies.
