BMW: Ετοιμάζει περισσότερα Μ και 7 i μοντέλα

Σχετικά άρθρα

BMW Annual Accounts Press Conference 2016 (1)

Η BMW μετά την παρουσίαση του Vision Next 100 concept διοργάνωσε σήμερα την ετήσια συνέντευξη τύπου στην οποία εκτός από τα οικονομικά της αποτελέσματα, επιβεβαίωσε πως ετοιμάζει περισσότερα M μοντέλα, με την γκάμα των i οχημάτων της να μεγαλώνει και να φτάνει τα 7.

Συγκεκριμένα η BMW είπε πως το 2018 θα περάσει στη παραγωγή το i8 Spyder, ενώ μέσα στο έτος θα παρουσιαστεί και το ανανεωμένο i3 με μεγαλύτερη μπαταρία και μεγαλύτερη αυτονομία. Το επόμενο i μοντέλο, σύμφωνα με τον CEO της BMW Harald Krueger, θα είναι μια νέα ναυαρχίδα με κωδική ονομασία iNEXT (i5 εσύ είσαι;) θα βγει μετά το 2020 και:

Θα καλύπτει όλες τις πτυχές που αφορούν τα μελλοντικά αυτοκίνητα, συμπεριλαμβανομένων της αυτόνομης οδήγησης, της ψηφιακής συνδεσιμότητας, της ευφυής ελαφριάς κατασκευής, καθώς και της επόμενης γενιάς της ηλεκτροκινητότητας.

Η BMW ετοιμάζει plug-in υβριδικές εκδόσεις όλων των μοντέλων της, αλλά και των μοντέλων της MINI, ενώ συμπλήρωσε πως αναπτύσσει και την τεχνολογία υδρογόνου, με το πρωτότυπό της να έχει αυτονομία 700 χλμ.

P90206939-highRes

Το BMW Group υπόσχεται να εξασφαλίσει πρωταγωνιστικό ρόλο στην αυτόνομη οδήγηση, με το Project i 2.0 να “παγιώνει την θέση της ως ο τεχνολογικός ηγέτης σε αυτόν τον τομέα“, μιας και επικεντρώνεται σε περισσότερη χρήση carbon, ψηφιακούς χάρτες υψηλής ανάλυσης (HERE) υπηρεσιών cloud, και τεχνητής νοημοσύνης.

Για το μέλλον των M μοντέλων, η BMW έχει μεγάλα σχέδια, μιας και θέλει να προσφέρει στην αγορά περισσότερες M δημιουργίες, όπου ανάμεσα σε αυτές θα είναι η X3 M και η X4 M, ενώ θα επικεντρωθεί περισσότερο και στα high-end μοντέλα, όπως είναι η Σειράς 7, μιας και αυτά, μαζί με τα M μοντέλα, είναι εκείνα που έχουν την μεγαλύτερη κερδοφορία. Η BMW είπε πως οι κινητήρες εσωτερικής καύσης θα εξακολουθήσουν να διαδραματίζουν “σημαντικό ρόλο” για πολλά χρόνια στο μέλλον, ενώ πρακτικά επιβεβαίωσε και την X7.

Το BMW Group το 2015 είδε τις πωλήσεις του να ανέρχονται 2.247.485 (+6,1%), με τα έσοδα να αγγίζουν τα 92,16 δισ, ευρώ (+14,6%) τα κέρδη προ φόρων τα 9,22 δισ. ευρώ (+5,9%), και μετά φόρων 6.396.000.000 ευρώ (+10%). Τέλος η BMW αναφέρει πως θα κρατήσει τις δεσμεύσεις της για ένα καθαρότερο και φιλικότερο προς τος περιβάλλον στόλο οχημάτων, με τον CEO της, Harald Krueger να δηλώνει πως τα αυτόνομα και τα ηλεκτρικά αυτοκίνητα θα είναι μέρος της ζωής μας στα επόμενα 50 χρόνια, ζητώντας από τις κυβερνήσεις των κρατών να παρέχουν κίνητρα στους καταναλωτές που θα ευνοούν την απόκτηση ηλεκτρικών οχημάτων.

[learn_more caption=”Δελτίο Τύπου”]

BMW Group driving the transformation of individual mobility with its Strategy NUMBER ONE > Next

BMW Group to expand BMW i product range

New BMW iNEXT to set standards for future technologies

Project i 2.0 will ensure leading role in automated driving

Digital services make mobile life easier for customers

New luxury-class models planned for most profitable segments

Profitability remains key focus – targets set until 2020

Harald Krüger: combining operational excellence and new ways of thinking

Munich.Following its sixth record-breaking year in succession, the BMW Group has revealed initial details of its new strategy. With itsStrategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT, the world’s leading provider of premium products and services for individual mobility is setting out the framework to shape change in the automobile sector. The BMW Group intends to remain the driving force behind premium individual mobility. With a clear focus on people and their environment, the BMW Group aims to deliver solutions that are both ground-breaking and responsible.

“Throughout its 100-year history, the BMW Group has always reinvented itself. As a pioneer of new technologies, the company has shaped change, within both the industry and the world of mobility,” commentedHarald Krüger,Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, at the Annual Accounts Press Conference in Munich on Wednesday. “We are setting the standard with our Strategy NUMBER ONE > NEXT, both now and in the future. We will lead the BMW Group into a new era, one in which we will transform and shape both individual mobility and the entire sector in a permanent way.”

The BMW Group sees the changes sweeping across the world of mobility through digitalisation as an excellent opportunity to make mobile life simpler, safer and more convenient, thereby inspiring completely new customer groups. In the coming years, the Group will focus on broadening itstechnological expertise, expanding the scope ofdigital connectivity between people, vehicles and servicesand actively strengtheningsustainable mobility.

The technological focus will therefore be on consistently achieving further advances in the fields ofelectric mobility and automated driving. The BMW Group has proved its credentials as a pioneer and visionary driver of innovation with the BMW i brand, of which more than 50,000 vehicles have already been sold, as well as with the latest version of its connected and intelligent flagship BMW 7 Series.

BMW iNEXT as symbol of technology leadership

The BMW Group’s strategy will become driving reality, ushering in the next decade in the form of a revolutionary new BMW i model that will raise premium individual mobility to previously unknown levels. Under the banner ofBMW iNEXT, the BMW Group brings new forms of automated driving and digital connectivity together with a new generation of electric mobility, lightweight construction and trailblazing interior design that will set new standards for the customer’s mobility experience.

“BMW iNEXT heralds the next era of mobility,” stated Krüger. “This symbol of our technology leadership will demonstrate how we will bring the future of mobility into series production.” It also underlines BMW i’s role as a driver of innovation and technological trailblazer for the company. The brand develops trendsetting technologies and services, subsequently transferring them to the BMW model range.

The leading role of BMW i in terms of development is already being reflected in the increased scale of electrification in other models. The current plug-in hybrids are in their third generation and are technological market leaders. With the fourth generation, the electric range will be extended. Development of the fifth generation, which will bring further progress in all areas is already underway.

This technology transfer is the basis for the plug-in hybrid BMWiPerformance models. From 2016 onwards the BMW Group will have seven models in its range, which will be either purely electrically powered, like the BMW i3, or feature a combination of combustion engine and electric motor as plug-in hybrid solutions. Further models are due to follow in the coming years, including a plug-in hybridMINI. In addition, the award-winning plug-in hybrid sports carBMW i8 will be added to by an open-topBMW i8roadster.By the end of 2016, the Group’s electric vehicle portfolio will be expanded to include a BMW i3 that features increased battery capacity and additional range.

The BMW Group also continues to develophydrogen fuel-cell technology; the current test vehicles achieve a range up to 700 kilometres. The company believes that a variety of drivetrain systems will exist alongside each other in the future. This expectation is fully reflected in the BMW Group’s currentvehicle architecture, which includes all conventional and alternative drivetrain systems. This guarantees maximum flexibility at all stages of development and production and, thanks to benefits of scale, is also highly cost efficient.

Project i 2.0 to ensure a leading role in automated driving

The fact that the BMW Group has already made so much progress in e-mobility is largely due to project i, through which the BMW Group established itself as a true pioneer of sustainable mobility. Project i enabled the company to build up the necessary expertise in electric mobility early on, whilst at the same time ensuring it could be realised on an industrial scale. Withproject i 2.0, the BMW Group is now following an equally ambitious path with respect to automated and fully networked driving. By bundling the potential opportunities offered by digitalisation, the BMW Group will cement its position as technological leader in this field, too.A clear focus will be placed onhigh definition digital maps,sensor technology,cloud technologyandartificial intelligence, the decisive areas for success in this segment. With the investment in HERE the BMW Group has already secured the availability of high definition maps.

“Our focus is clear: we are securing the BMW Group’s position as technological market leader,” saidKlaus Fröhlich, member of the Board of Management responsible for Development. “With project i 2.0 we will lead the field of autonomous driving. We will turn research projects into new kinds of industrial processes, bringing future technology onto the road.“

Since October 2015, customers can experience the next levels of automated driving innovation and anew quality of premium mobilitywith the new BMW 7 Series. Equipped with a stereo camera and five radar sensors, the BMW Group’s flagship model stays in lane and maintains a safe distance to the vehicle ahead, even when driving up to 210 km/h on motorways.The BMW 7 Series is even able to drive itself into the garage at the push of a button using Remote Control Parking. With gesture control and its comprehensive connectivity, the BMW flagship is already the benchmark in terms of user interface and connectivity.

To further extend its lead in the field of automated driving, the BMW Group will be transferring these technologies to other models during the coming years. New sensor technology and more powerful software will allow rapid progress to be made in the field of automated driving; the BMW iNEXT will set a new benchmark in this area.

Digitalisation makes mobile life easier for customers

New technologies not only make driving more comfortable, they also forge the link between the mobility of the future and all other areas of life. Connectivity is the prerequisite for realising this vision – and it is precisely in this field thatConnectedDrivehas been setting standards for several years now.

“In the future, all aspects of our products – whether design, handling or everyday usage – will be modelled more closely than ever before on the customer’s needs,” statedFröhlich. “Our technologies will learn to anticipate the needs of our customers. By converting data into intelligence, we will be enhancing the quality of life in a mobile world.”

BMW Connectedalready acts as a personalised companion for our customers, providing a broad array of information to serve their mobility needs. The system becomes increasingly acquainted with the user’s favourite routes and driving habits, thus enabling it to provide warnings of road closures or congestion ahead and suggest alternative routes.

The BMW Group was also quick to recognise the increasing importance of other digital services, making products such asDriveNow,ParkNowandChargeNowkey factors in the BMW Group’s future success. The BMW Group will announce the next steps in enhancing these various services during the current year, consistently and rapidly expanding its mobility services.

Apart from the services it is developing in its own right, the BMW Group is also investing in a number of promising start-ups and service providers viaBMW i Ventures. This entity enables the Group to swiftly identify and respond toworldwide mobility trends, a crucial advantage in view of the faster pace of development cycles in the IT sector compared to the automotive world.

Traditional business will continue to play a significant role

New technologies and digital services will change today’s business areas. But the long and capital-intensive investment cycles that exist in the sector, combined with the product’s long life span, mean these changes will not occurabruptly. The BMW Group expects a transformation that will steadily gather pace, but nevertheless stretch over a long period and develop diversely from one region to the next. This is already fully reflected in the BMW Group’s current vehicle architectures, which include all conventional and alternative drivetrain systems.

One example of this isthe combustion engine, which will continue to play a major role for many years to come. There will therefore be no let-up in the BMW Group’s efforts to improve the efficiency of established processes and continually optimise the technologies involved. Under the banner ofEfficient Dynamics NEXT, development work on existing drivetrain technologies continues unabated, always looking for ways to improve the efficiency of combustion engines.

“Our key to success going forward is a dual approach: We need to manage our current business to perfection, while continuing to grow in a targeted fashion, in order to secure the necessary investments and headroom we need to achieve success, both tomorrow and beyond,” explained Krüger. We are working to shape the future of mobility ourselves by merging operative excellence and new ways of thinking within one organisation.”

New models for BMW and BMW M

At a product level, the BMW Group continues to emulate its highly successful mid- and upper-range segment strategy in the premium class. The BMW 3 Series and the BMW 5 Series, including their various derivative versions, have long since achieved and retainedsegment leadershipthanks to technological innovation, compelling product quality and emotional design.

After leading the premium segment for more than ten consecutive years, the BMW brand is now poised to strengthen its position on a sustainable basis at the top end of its product portfolio, where rates of return are at their highest. “We will be broadening our model range with theBMW X7,” Krüger said. “We are also taking an in-depth look at the additional potential of this highly attractive segment.”

The BMW M brand will also strive to continue its 40-year-long success story with its range of highly emotional and coveted vehicles. Since it was founded in 1972, the legendary M GmbH has been a pioneer in high-performance vehicles, producing vehicles which offer unparalleled performance, agility precision and the presence to own the road. While the legendary M1 (1978) remains unforgotten, the latest addition to the fold, theBMW M2, is currently impressing both press and public with its superb driving dynamics and superior performance, broadening the BMW M product range in a segment that is currently growing strongly. A Furtherexpansion of the M product rangeis already being planned. Furthermore, the BMW Group intends to expand its range of powerfulM Performancemodels within the higher volume segments, with a view to capitalising on the growth and earnings potential of the BMW M brand.

The future of pure luxury motoring is already taking shape asRolls-Royce Motor Carsbegins testing its new aluminum space-frame architecture which will underpin all future Rolls-Royce model lines. This is the first stage of a development that will see a new generation of Rolls-Royce motor cars become available from early 2018.

On the basis of its comprehensive strategy, theBMW Motorcyclessegment strives to sustain its profitable and sustainable growth over the coming years. Its strategic goal is to deliver 200,000 vehicles to customers in 2020. As part of its new product strategy, BMW Motorrad will also be venturing into the motorcycle segments below 500 cc with its new BMW G 310 R.

BMW Group expands profitability targets

The Group’s focus remains very much on profitable growth and the continuous quest for efficiency. Despite considerable levels of investment in, and upfront expenditure for, new technologies as well as greater costs to meet increasingly rigorous regulatory requirements, the BMW Group continues to target anEBIT margin of between 8 and 10% in the Automotive segment. The Financial Services segment continues to target a return on equity (RoE) in excess of 18%.

“For us, strategy and profitability are inextricably linked,” saidFriedrich Eichiner,member of the Board of Management responsible for Finance.“Our financial strength today is the basis for our success tomorrow.”

To do justice to the increasing importance of segments other than the Automotive segment and their growing share of revenues, the BMW Group is introducing additional performance indicators from the year 2017 onwards: At Group level the company will target anEBT marginof at least 10%. The Motorcycles segment will adopt an EBIT margin target range of between 8 and 10%. Both figures will at first be valid up to and including 2020.

Values are an important factor for corporate success

A strategy is worthless without the right people to implement it. This is why the BMW Group is convinced that alongside technological progress, the right framework within thecorporate and leadership cultureis essential in order to shape future change in the world of mobility.

“We need to be able to act swiftly in the digital world and be prepared to take risks,” commented Krüger. “This is only possible when we place ourtrustin the judgement and decisions of our employees. What at first sight appears to be a “soft” factor does in fact have a real economic value for the BMW Group.”

BMW Group set to remain on course in 2016

  • New highs forecast in sales volume, revenues and earnings
  • EBIT margin of 8 – 10% targeted for Automotive segment
  • Target: slight increases in sales volume and pre-tax profit

Munich.The BMW Group is set to continue its success story in 2016. “We are targeting new highs forsales volumeandgroup profit before tax,” stated Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG at the Annual Accounts Press Conference in Munich on Wednesday. The BMW Group also expects to remain the world’s leading premium manufacturer of vehicles in 2016.

Group profit before taxis forecast to improveslightly. The BMW Group benefits from its strong brands, attractive product range and the expectation that international automobile markets will continue their generally upward trend. These favorable factors contrast with rising personnel expenses, intense competition and high levels of upfront expenditure for new technologies. The global political and economic environment is also expected to remain volatile.

TheAutomotive segmentis targeting aslight sales volume increasein 2016. Alongside the positive impetus expected from the new BMW 7 Series, the launches of the new generations of BMW X1 and MINI Clubman models towards the end of 2015 are also expected to boost sales volume figures in 2016. Automotive segmentrevenuesare therefore expected toincrease slightly, in line with the rise in sales volume. The target range for theEBIT marginbetween8 and 10%remains unchanged for 2016.

The BMW Group expects theMotorcycles segmentto continue its upward trend in the current year. The new R NineT Scrambler and G 310 R models unveiled at last autumn’s trade fairs will broaden the product portfolio and attract new customer groups. Aslight year-on-year increaseinsales volumeis forecast for the full year.

TheFinancial Services segmentis likely to continue performing well in 2016. Despite rising equity capital requirements worldwide, the BMW Group forecasts areturn on equity(RoE) in line with the previous year’s level (2015: 20.2%), once again ahead of thetarget rate of at least 18%.

Forecasts for the current year are based on the assumption that worldwide economic conditions will not change significantly.

BMW Group achieves record earnings in 2015

The BMW Group achieved its sixth record-breaking year in succession in 2015, posting new highs to date for sales volumes, revenues and profit before tax, despite a volatile market environment.

“We have met all of our ambitious targets for the financial year,” stated Krüger. “With another set of impressive figures in its centenary year, the BMW Group remains the world’s leading provider of premium vehicles and mobility services.”

Automobilesales volumeclimbed by 6.1% to a new record level of 2,247,485 units (2014: 2,117,965 units). With additional tailwind from favourable currency factors,Group revenuesgrew by 14.6% in 2015 to € 92,175 million (2014: € 80,401 million).Profit before financial result(EBIT) increased by 5.2% to € 9,593 million (2014: € 9,118 million), mainly on the back of sales volume growth.Group profit before tax(EBT) rose for the first time above € 9 billion, increasing by 5.9% to a new high level of € 9,224 million (2014: € 8,707 million).Group net profitrose for the first time above € 6 billion, increasing by 10.0% to a new record level of € 6,396 million (2014: € 5,817 million).

Dividend of € 3.20 per share of common stock proposed

“The exemplary commitment of our workforce and the unfailing trust placed in us by our shareholders are the key topics that run through the BMW Group’s success story”, elaborated Krüger. “To mark the company’s centenary, we are once again raising the associate bonus for our permanent staff in Germany, the highest amount paid in the German premium auto industry. Dividend payments to our shareholders will also exceed the two billion euro mark for the first time, reflecting the BMW Group’s fine performance in 2015.” At the Annual General Meeting on 12 May 2016 the Board of Management and the Supervisory Board will propose to shareholders that thedividendbe increased to a new high of € 3.20 per share of common stock (2014: € 2.90) and € 3.22 per share of preferred stock (2014: € 2.92). Thedistribution ratestands at 32.9% (2014: 32.7%), well within the BMW Group’s target range of 30 to 40%.

Automotive segment’s profitability in target range

Automotive segment revenuesgrew by 13.8% year-on-year to € 85,536 million (2014: € 75,173 million), mainly reflecting the good sales volume performance, new models and favourable currency factors.EBITincreased by 8.2% to € 7,836 million (2014: € 7,244 million). TheEBIT margincame in at 9.2% (2014: 9.6%) and was thus in the upper half of the targeted range of
8 -10%.Segment profit before tax(EBT) improved by 9.3% to a new high of € 7,523 million (2014: € 6,886 million).

TheBMWbrand maintained its top position in the premium segment in 2015 by posting a new record sales volume figure. Deliveries to customers were 5.2% higher at 1,905,234 units (2014: 1,811,719 units), with excellent performances by the BMW 2 Series, the BMW 4 Series and the BMW X family helping to drive sales volume growth. Additional momentum is expected in the current year, in particular from the new BMW 7 Series and the new BMW X1.

TheBMW 2 Seriesproved exceptionally popular in 2015, with deliveries to customers reaching a total of 157,144 units (2014: 41,038 units), including more than 107,000 units of the BMW 2 Series Active and Gran Tourer, which therefore accounted for more than two thirds of the total figure for the series. TheBMW 4 Seriesperformed equally well, consolidating its position as market leader in its segment with a 27.4% sales volume increase to 152,390 units (2014: 119,580 units). The brand’s growth is also being driven by the success of theBMW Xfamily. Sales of theBMW X4more than doubled to 55,050 units (2014: 21,688 units). Worldwide sales of theBMW X5, also the market leader in its segment, grew by 14.1% to 168,143 units (2014: 147,381 units), while theBMW X6recorded a 53.1% increase to 46,305 units (2014: 30,244 units).

The number ofBMW ivehicles delivered to customers jumped by 65.9% to 29,513 units (2014: 17,793 units), comprising 24,057 units (2014: 16,052 units) of theBMW i3(+49.9%) and 5,456 units (2014: 1,741 units) of theBMW i8.

MINIachieved a new sales volume record in 2015, with deliveries up 12.0% to 338,466 units (2014: 302,183 units). Worldwide sales of the newMINI 5-Doortotalled 94,788 units (2014: 13,113 units), while sales of theMINI 3-Dooredged up to 127,194 units (2014: 126,938 units; +0.2%). The newMINI Clubmanwent on sale in October and registered sales of 8,003 units by the end of the year.

Rolls-Royce Motor Carsrecorded the second-best performance in its
112-year history. The Goodwood-based company sold 3,785 units worldwide in 2015 (-6.8%), with theWraithandGhostmodels making the largest contributions to the sales volume figure. Demand for the brand remained high around the world, the only notable exception being China, where the luxury segment as a whole felt stiff headwinds.

In line with its strategy of achieving a balanced distribution of worldwide sales, the BMW Group recorded sales volume growth inall major sales regions. The four largest sales markets for the BMW Group over the past year were China, the USA, Germany and Great Britain.

Sales of BMW Group vehicles inEuropein 2015 exceeded the one-million mark for the first time, with a total of 1,000,427 units (2014: 914,587 units; +9.4%) handed over to customers. Sales volume was 5.0% higher in Germany at 286,098 units (2014: 272,345 units) and 12.6% higher in Great Britain at 230,982 units (2014: 205,071 units).

The pace of growth inAsiaslowed in 2015 as a result of the continuing normalisation of the Chinese market. The BMW Group sold 685,792 units (2014: 658,384 units) in this region, 4.2% more than the previous year, including sales on the Chinese mainland, which grew by 1.6% to 464,086 units (2014: 456,732 units).

The BMW Group also increased sales volume in theAmericasregion, with the number of vehicles sold up 2.8% to 495,897 units (2014: 482,257 units), including 405,715 units (2014: 396,961 units) sold in the USA (+2.2%).

Significant increase in Motorcycles segment earnings

Motorcycles segmentrevenuesgrew 18.5% year-on-year to € 1,990 million (2014: € 1,679 million).EBITimproved by 62.5% to € 182 million (2014: € 112 million), whileprofit before taxadvanced by 67.3% to € 179 million (2014: € 107 million).Sales volumeincreased by 10.9% to 136,963 units (2014: 123,495 units), thus outperforming the market as a whole. BMW Motorrad’s five largest markets were Germany, the USA, France, Italy and Spain.

Financial Services segment continues to grow

The Financial Services segment also continued to perform well in 2015.Segment revenueswere 15.2% higher at € 23,793 million (2014: € 20,599 million), whileprofit before taximproved by 14.6% to € 1,975 million (2014: € 1,723 million).

In total, 1,655,961 (2014: 1,509,113)new contractswere signed in conjunction with financing and leasing business, up 9.7% on the previous year. Theportfolio of lease and financing contractsin place with dealers and retail customers at the end of the reporting period rose by 8.2% to 4,718,970 contracts (2014: 4,359,572 contracts).

Increase in workforce and number of apprentices

Theworkforceincreased by 5.1% compared with the previous year. Overall, the BMW Group had a worldwide workforce of 122,244 employees (2014: 116,324 employees) at the end of the reporting period. The increase mainly reflects the ongoing expansion of the Group’s international production network and the targeted recruitment of engineers, IT specialists and skilled workers needed to step up the development of future technologies and new services.

The BMW Group expanded training activities worldwide. During the past year, approximately 1,500young peoplebegan an apprenticeship within the organisation, including 1,200 in Germany. At the end of the reporting period, 4,700 young people worldwide were in vocational training and training programmes for young talent within the BMW Group.

The BMW Group – an overview 2015 2014 Change in %
Sales volume Automotive Units 2,247,485 2,117,965 6.1
Thereof: BMW Units 1,905,234 1,811,719 5.2
MINI Units 338,466 302,183 12.0
Rolls-Royce Units 3,785 4,063 -6.8
Sales volume Motorcycles Units 136,963 123,495 10.9
Workforce1 122,244 116,324 5.1
EBIT margin
Automotive Segment
Percent 9.2 9.6 -0.4 %Points
Revenues € million 92,175 80,401 14.6
Thereof: Automotive € million 85,536 75,173 13.8
Motorcycles € million 1,990 1,679 18.5
Financial Services € million 23,739 20,599 15.2
Other Entities € million 7 7
Eliminations € million -19,097 -17,057 -12.0
Profit before financial result (EBIT) € million 9,593 9,118 5.2
Thereof: Automotive € million 7,836 7,244 8.2
Motorcycles € million 182 112 62.5
Financial Services € million 1,981 1,756 12.8
Other Entities € million 169 71
Eliminations € million -575 -65
Profit before tax (EBT) € million 9,224 8,707 5.9
Thereof: Automotive € million 7,523 6,886 9.3
Motorcycles € million 179 107 67.3
Financial Services € million 1,975 1,723 14.6
Other Entities € million 211 154 37.0
Eliminations € million -664 -163
Income taxes € million -2,828 -2,890 2.1
Net profit € million 6,396 5,817 10.0
Earnings per share2 9.70/9.72 8.83/8.85 9.9/9.8

1 Figures exclude dormant employment contracts, employees in the work and non-work phases of pre-retirement part-time working arrangements and low wage earners

2 Earnings per share of common stock/preferred stock

BMW Group publishes Sustainable Value Report 2015.

Munich 16 March 2016. The BMW Group has released its new Sustainable Value Report 2015 to coincide with its Annual Accounts Press Conference on 16 March 2016.

The BMW Group is firmly committed to the United Nations’ Global Compact and has implemented its ten principles at all locations since 2001. The company reports annually on its sustainability strategy, goals and progress in its extensive Sustainable Value Report.

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG: “Our actions are aimed at shaping the mobility of the future and securing our leading position as a successful company. We have set ourselves concrete sustainability targets we aim to meet by 2020. Last year, once again, our projects and the measures we implemented brought us a good deal closer to these goals.”

Selected facts from the Sustainable Value Report 2015:

  • With its Efficient Dynamics strategy, the BMW Group has lowered the CO2 emissions of its worldwide fleet by 39.5 per cent from 1995 levels.
  • Thanks to its Clean Production concept, the BMW Group has reduced resource consumption at its plants by an average of 48.1 per cent since 2006, saving the company more than 158 million euros.
  • The company increased the percentage of electricity it obtains from renewable sources to 58 per cent in 2015.
  • The BMW Group invested a total of 352 million euros in employee skills in 2015. Expenditure for vocational and professional training was therefore around five per cent higher than the previous year.

The BMW Group’s Sustainable Value Report is now available for download atwww.bmwgroup.com/svr. The Report was prepared in accordance with the guidelines of the Global Reporting Initiative (G4). All data, facts and qualitative statements in the Report were verified by independent auditor PriceWaterhouseCoopers.

Annual Accounts Press Conference 2016: Statements and presentation by Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Dr. Friedrich Eichiner, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance, and Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

Review of the business year 2015

Good morning, Ladies and Gentlemen,

Welcome to our Annual Accounts Press Conference.

On March 7, we celebrated our centenary here in Munich: 100 Years of Bayerische Motoren Werke. Our staff at all locations around the globe had a chance to participate via live stream in the celebration. We are using the occasion of our centenary as a springboard for “The next 100 Years”.

We are convinced individual mobility will remain a fundamental human need. According to forecasts, new car registrations worldwide are expected to reach around 100 million by 2020, including a growing premium segment. At the same time, mobility is going to change dramatically thanks to new technological advancements.

Our BMW VISION NEXT 100 offers a vision how we believe mobility in the next 30 years and beyond will develop. The BMW i Vision Future Interaction here on stage shows you the first steps to realizing this. Both these vehicles embody a new era of mobility – a time that will be characterized by sustainability, connectivity and automated driving.

Our aim is to continue to claim a leading position in the premium segment. However, as we see it, the mere number of vehicles sold is no sufficient measure of an automaker’s future viability. Rather we must include other key indicators to achieve a meaningful overall view of a company’s performance potential and competitiveness.

For us, these key indicators include:

  • sustainable high profitability,
  • innovative capacity,
  • customer satisfaction and
  • our attractiveness as an employer.

This is the direction in which we are taking the BMW Group. But more about that later. First off, let me give you a review of the business year 2015.

I’ll be addressing the following points:

  1. Our performance in the business year 2015.
  2. New models at BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce.
  3. Our goals for the business year 2016.

Our business environment in 2015 was characterized by intense competition, volatile markets, political challenges and the public debate about diesel technology. Within this challenging environment, we pursued our goals with determination – and achieved them.

Our premium brands are the backbone of this success. For the first time, we delivered more than 2.24 million vehicles to customers in 2015. This corresponds to a solid growth rate of 6.1 percent year-on-year. It is also a new sales record. Our brands BMW, MINI and BMW Motorrad also posted new records.

In a globalized world, we are right where the customer is. We pursue a balanced distribution of value creation for both sales and production. At approximately
45 percent of total sales, Europe is still our principal sales region. Asia accounted for about 30 percent of sales and the Americas for 22 percent.

We are strategically expanding our global production network of currently 30 sites in 14 countries:

  • Our second engine plant in Shenyang opened in January 2016.
  • In Mexico, preparations for the construction of our new plant in San Luis Potosí are proceeding on schedule.
  • We are also significantly expanding our company’s biggest production site in Spartanburg, USA, to be able to satisfy the demand for our premium sports activity vehicles.
  • And we continue to invest in our German plants and the expansion of the FIZ Research and Innovation Center. Around 700 million euros alone will be invested in our home plant in Munich by 2018.

The positive retail development is also reflected in the Group’s key financials for the business year 2015. We generated new record highs for Group revenues, Group profit before tax and Group net profit.

  • As forecast, theGroup profit before taxgrew considerably by 5.9 percent to a new peak of 9.2 billion euros.
  • Thenet profitincreased by 10 percent to around 6.4 billion euros.
  • TheEBIT margin in the Automotive Segmentstands at 9.2 percent and therefore within our anticipated target range.
  • Generating a profit before tax of over 1.9 billion euros, theFinancial Services Segmentonce again made a significant contribution to the Group result.

The past year was marked by the new BMW 7 Series. This sixth generation of our flagship model is being well received by both customers and the media. From its market launch in October 2015 to the end of February 2016, we sold more than 9,000 BMW 7 Series vehicles. The 7 Series is our beacon of innovation.

Its Carbon Core received the EuroCarBody Award 2015, the world’s most prestigious recognition for innovations in car body construction. In Germany, it was honored with the Golden Steering Wheel Award in the luxury segment.

These two models were each awarded a Golden Steering Wheel as well: The new BMW X1 in the segment of mid-size SUVs and the BMW 2 Series Gran Tourer for best family car. Both models represent the expansion of our portfolio in the growing compact segment.

Since its launch in October, the new MINI Clubman has demonstrated how the brand is developing further alongside the lifestyles of its target group. The Clubman has all it takes to be the primary car in a household. Mobility services are by now standard in today’s market for premium mobility.

Our car-sharing service DriveNow is growing at a rapid pace. The fleet already consists of over 4,000 vehicles in Europe. Since DriveNow was launched in 2011, our customers have driven over 133 million kilometers – or to put it another way, around 170 times to the moon and back. By the end of 2015, a total of almost 580,000 users were registered. This year our customers can once again look forward to a whole range of exciting new models.

Alternative drives play a prominent role. At last year’s event, we had BMW’s first series vehicle with a plug-in hybrid here on stage. Since its market launch in late October 2015, the X5 xDrive40e shows how we are transferring BMW i’s ‘born electric’ technologies to our BMW core brand. We are now integrating the hybrid technology in additional model series, such as the BMW 2 and 3 Series. Hybrid drive also makes sense in the large vehicle classes. The new BMW 740e iPerformance is a dear example of this.

This car’s figures are truly impressive:

  • Fully electric range: 40 kilometers.
  • Fuel consumption in the current EU test cycle: 2.1 liters per 100 kilometers.
  • Carbon emissions per kilometer: 49 grams.

And we are about to extend the BMW M range of the new 7 Series, something many customers have been waiting for. As early as this year, we will put the first M Performance variant of the BMW 7 Series on the road. Now M is also in the luxury class. Thanks to its supreme dynamic driving experience,

M Performance is very successful with the BMW 1 and 2 Series, the X5 and the new X4.

In 2015, we initiated the realignment of MINI with a young portfolio. MINI just launched its new convertible a few days ago. It is the only premium offering among convertibles in the compact segment.

In the ultra-luxury segment, Rolls-Royce will launch the world’s quietest convertible in the first half of this year. Rolls-Royce is and will remain the very pinnacle of luxury. With regard to market share, Rolls-Royce dominates the segment above 200,000 euros. The brand is strategically expanding its portfolio, also addressing younger target groups. At the Geneva Motor Show, Rolls-Royce presented the Ghost and the Wraith in a special bespoke variant – as Black Badge models. We are planning to launch a new, all-terrain Rolls-Royce model – project name: Cullinan – before the end of this decade. This model will be built on a new aluminum structure, the future basis of all Rolls-Royce models.

Let us move on from four wheels to two wheels. At present, BMW is the world’s most successful premium manufacturer of motorcycles and maxi-scooters. Today’s product range is more varied and more individual than ever. By 2020, BMW Motorrad is planned to grow to 200,000 units.

To achieve this, we are tapping into new markets, launching motorcycles below 500 cc which are ideal for urban environment. With the G 310 R roadster, BMW Motorrad will launch its first product below 500cc in the second half of this year. Spring will see the launch of the R NineT Scrambler, a lifestyle motorcycle based on the very successful R NineT.

We have had a very good start to the year with our young and attractive product portfolio: In January and February, we sold 7.7 percent more vehicles than in the same period of the previous year. BMW Motorrad grew by 12.1 percent. Experts expect for 2016 a positive development of the world economy and growth in the car markets.

The political and economic environment continues to be significantly affected by substantial risks and uncertainties, namely:

  • the high public debt in many countries;
  • the current instability within Europe,
  • the normalization of the Chinese market;
  • the difficult economic situations in some emerging markets.

This is counterbalanced by positive expectations for 2016 regarding global economic trends and a growing automotive market.

We have set ourselves ambitiousgoalsfor the business year 2016:

  • a slight increase in automotive sales;
  • a slight increase in Group EBT;
  • an EBIT margin in the Automotive Segment again within the range of 8 to 10 percent.

To shape the future, an innovative and highly skilled team is essential. We continue to invest in our employees. Since 2007, we have spent more than 2.1 billion euros on training and development. In 2015, we recruited over 5,900 new people. And in our centenary year, all permanent employees in Germany will receive the highest profit-sharing bonus for 2015 within the German premium auto industry.

Our shareholders provide us with a stable foundation on which to develop the company. For the first time in our history, we are going to propose a total dividend payout of over two billion Euros.

We will strive to achieve all our targets and ensure 2016 is another successful year for the BMW Group.

Thank you.

Dr. Friedrich Eichiner, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance

Annual accounts business year 2015

Ladies and Gentlemen,

A warm welcome from my side as well.

Today’s success is more important than ever: It lays the foundation for the continued development of the BMW Group. We achieved our guidance targets again this year – despite a number of challenges in our business environment.

At the start of 2015, the Chinese market initially normalized faster than expected. There was also uncertainty over development of the US economy and interest rates – and massive volatility in many emerging markets and currencies. The BMW Group’s success in this volatile environment reinforces its position as the world’s most successful premium manufacturer. We aim to maintain and expand this leadership through further development of the Group. This is particularly important in light of the significant changes facing our industry. The BMW Group sees itself as a driving force. Our new strategic alignment was therefore a focus of attention in 2015 alongside our operating activities.

Let’s first take a look at the Group’s operating business performance: Higher deliveries lifted revenues over € 92 billion for the first time. This is an increase of almost 15% over the previous year. This record high was supported by currency translation effects. Adjusted for these effects however, Group revenues still rose by 7.7%. Both earnings and Group profit crossed the next billion euro threshold: The BMW Group’s pre-tax earnings topped 9 billion euros for the first time at € 9.22 billion – an increase of 5.9% year-on-year. At Group level, we achieved an EBT margin of 10.0%. Group net profit also reached new levels at almost € 6.40 billion.

High profitability will continue to remain a priority in the future. With a view to the challenges ahead, we have already implemented measures in 2015 that will allow us to continue to meet profitability targets in the future. We have carefully managed the company’s capital employed and optimized our processes. This gives us the flexibility we need to invest in relevant future projects.

In the fourth quarter, helped by currency tailwinds, Group revenues reached almost € 25.0 billion – an increase of 10.2% year-on-year. Adjusted for currency effects, revenues increased by 5.4%. Group pre-tax earnings were 11.8% higher than the same quarter of the previous year at € 2.11 billion. Fourth-quarter profitability remained solid, with an EBT margin of 8.4%, despite high seasonal burdens.

The Automotive segment reported an EBIT margin of 9.6% for the same period. We achieved this level of profitability despite extensive expenditure on products and technology, and market volatility. This was partly due to the aforementioned efficiency improvements, as well as a solid increase in volumes.

Let’s talk about our investments in future projects. The BMW Group reported total capital expenditure of € 5.89 billion in 2015 – focusing on new vehicle projects, such as the 7 Series, the X1 and the MINI Clubman. Additional upfront investments were made for the ramp-up of further new products, including the new iPerformance models, as well as in our European production network and for the plant expansion in the United States.

Through targeted investment, the company is creating the necessary conditions for future growth and the strengthening of its competitiveness. Total investment included capitalized development costs of € 2.06 billion. At 39.9%, the ratio of capitalized development costs was higher than the previous year. This increase resulted from the higher number of vehicle projects I already mentioned.

The BMW Group’s capex ratio for 2015 stood at 6.4% of revenue – and therefore back in line with our target of below 7% of revenue. The BMW Group has developed significantly over the last years. These investments are preparing our production network for a higher total capacity and new models for our attractive portfolio. At the same time, we are concentrating on the introduction of new and innovative technologies such as automated driving, the next phase of
e-mobility and digitalization.

The significant increase in research and development expenses reported according to the German commercial code (HGB) underlines our continued focus on the future: The BMW Group invested a total of € 5.17 billion in research and development in 2015. This represents an increase of 13.2% from the previous year. As previously announced, our R&D ratio (HGB) decreased to 5.6% – or just outside our target range of 5-5.5%.

R&D spending was concentrated on ramp-ups and new vehicle projects, hybridization and lightweight design. With these investments, we are preparing our product portfolio for growing regulatory requirements. Our focus is on even more efficient combustion engines and drive train electrification. Additional points included driver assistance systems and connectivity.

The BMW Group will maintain its leading position in technology and efficiency. This remains a key aspect of our premium concept. We expect the R&D ratio for 2016 to remain on the same level as 2015.

Our investors also benefit from our business success. In this, our centenary year, the company will pay the highest dividend in its history. Subject to the resolution of the Annual General Meeting, the company will pay a total dividend of more than € 2 billion for the first time. A dividend of € 3.20 per share of common stock and € 3.22 per share of preferred stock will be paid. The dividend will be 30 cents – over 10% – higher than the previous year.

In total, 32.9% of our net profit for the year will be paid out to shareholders. This means that our shareholders are currently earning a dividend yield of nearly 4% on common shares – and almost 5% for preferred shares.

Now, let us take a look at business development in the segments.

First, the Automotive segment. Automotive segment revenues for 2015 climbed to € 85.54 billion. This increase of 13.8% reflects higher sales volumes and positive currency translation effects. Adjusted for currency effects, revenues were up by around 6%. BIT for the Automotive segment rose 8.2% year-on-year to € 7.84 billion. The EBIT margin of 9.2% remained within our target range of 8-10% as forecast. Here you can see the bridge from 2014 to 2015 EBIT. We were able to increase our operating result, despite challenging conditions.

Higher volumes and the net result of raw materials and currency effects had a positive impact. Pricing and the vehicle mix had a slight negative effect compared with the previous year. These items led to € 982 million additional EBIT over the previous year.

This year, we expect full availability of the 7 Series Sedan to improve the mix.

In addition, higher depreciation had a negative effect of € 479 million on earnings last year. The item “Other changes” represents the net balance of efficiency improvements and upfront investments and higher personnel costs. Measures to improve efficiency and cost-steering more than compensated for high upfront investments in future projects and other charges.

And this will remain our course in the future – as we continue to optimize our cost base. In this way, we will be ready for future challenges and opportunities. As in recent years, this will take place in a consistent and structured manner.

Let us now turn to at the cash flow for the Automotive segment:

Higher net profit and the effect of increased depreciation boosted free cash flow in 2015. In fourth quarter, we reduced working capital by significantly lowering inventories. Free cash flow totaled € 5.40 billion at the end of 2015. This performance shows just how attractive and effective our business model is.

For 2016 and the medium term, we maintain our target of more than € 3 billion. Our financial strength enables us to develop new technologies and strengthen our competitiveness. It also provides a solid foundation in case the economic environment deteriorates.

The BMW Group’s liquidity position once again remained extremely solid in 2015. At the end of the year, Group liquidity totaled € 11.38 billion.

The BMW Group therefore has sufficient funds and flexibility for its business activities and further growth. This also provides our financial services business with a solid footing.

Continuing with the Financial Services segment: BMW Group Financial Services continued to expand its financing business in in 2015. Almost 1.66 million new contracts were concluded with retail customers in this segment in 2015 – 9.7% more than in the previous year. The total business volume, as shown in the balance sheet, climbed 15% to € 111 billion. This is driven by business development – especially in the US, China and the UK. In these markets, new contracts benefitted from positive translation effects. Overall, 46.3% of new BMW Group vehicles were leased or financed by Financial Services.

The penetration rate is therefore 4.5 percentage points higher than the previous year. We benefitted from attractive refinancing costs in 2015 and will continue to do so this year.

Earnings before tax reached € 1.98 billion – an increase of 14.6% from the previous year.

Earnings were further driven by the high number of new contracts and portfolio from previous years. This was offset by upfront investments in future growth and further development of our IT infrastructure. Financial Services made targeted investments to support continued growth. The main increases came from workforce expansion and investment in large-scale IT projects, including measures needed for fulfilment of regulatory requirements, as well as further expansion of business structures in China.

The return on equity for the segment increased nevertheless by 0.8 percentage points to 20.2%. Our balance sheet equity ratio stood at 8.2% at the end of the financial year, maintaining our solid equity base.

BMW Financial Services also benefitted from a largely unchanged risk situation in 2015. The segment’s risk portfolio saw stable development overall. The credit risk situation varied between markets, but remained largely unchanged on the whole. The credit loss ratio for our credit portfolio further improved to 0.37%. This is 13 basis points below the previous year’s figure. Overall, there were no major changes in residual value risks. The individual markets for our off-lease vehicles however developed unevenly. Due to the high volume of used cars, pricing in the US has – as expected – deteriorated slightly recently. This development will likely continue in 2016.

In our second-largest leasing market, Germany, however, Financial Services achieved higher used car prices. The improvement in residual values here has partly offset the trend in the US. We are confident that Financial Services has recognized an adequate level of risk provisions. The segment conducts detailed risk analyses on a regular basis and adjusts its risk provisions accordingly. We expect the risk environment to remain largely stable in 2016, but cannot rule out increased volatility. From today’s perspective, we believe the segment is well prepared for credit and residual value risks.

I would now like to move on to our Motorcycles segment.

2015 was the fifth consecutive record year for BMW Motorrad. The brand delivered almost 137,000 motorcycles to customers – 10.9% more than the previous year. BMW Motorrad is the only German motorcycle manufacturer and market leader in 26 countries in the segment for premium bikes above 500 cc. With higher volumes and better profitability, BMW Motorrad reported significantly higher pre-tax earnings of € 179 million. This represents an increase of 67% over the previous year. The segment achieved an EBIT margin of 9.1% for 2015. BMW Motorrad is targeting further growth this year with its new and attractive models.

Finally a look at Eliminations.

Eliminations cover the consolidation of inter-segment transactions – primarily between the Automotive and Financial Services segments. Pre-tax earnings were negative € 664 million. This negative balance increased by € 501 million from the previous year, due to higher eliminations of intercompany profits from stronger leasing business and mix changes. The previous year had also benefitted from positive effects that were not repeated in 2015 and therefore resulted in a more negative balance compared with the previous year.

The BMW Group will continue to capitalize on selected opportunities in 2016 and prepare itself for the future. We will use our financial strength to implement change including necessary capital expenditure and other upfront investments. Despite these burdens, we intend to maintain our profitable growth to remain the world’s leading premium manufacturer. We anticipate an overall positive business development for 2016. Provided conditions do not deteriorate, the BMW Group is targeting a slight increase in pre-tax earnings compared with the previous year.

Assuming conditions remain unchanged, we also expect to see a slight increase in automotive deliveries. Our new and revised models will provide the momentum for this in a positive market environment. However, should these development assumptions not be fulfilled, our guidance could change.

We also anticipate a slight increase in Automotive segment revenues in line with deliveries. We continue to aim for an EBIT margin within our target range of 8-10% for the Automotive segment. We maintain this target despite high capital expenditure and upfront investments. However, actual margins could be below the targeted range if political or economic conditions turn unfavorable.

In the Financial Services segment, we expect return on equity to remain on a par with last year– despite growth-related investment and (fixed) costs in the segment.

BMW Motorrad is also expected to continue its positive business development in 2016. With our attractive new models, we expect to see a slight increase in deliveries compared with the previous year.

The guidance assumes that political and economic conditions remain stable. We expect increasing volatility and will respond in a flexible manner.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Our financial strength creates the right conditions for the company’s future competitiveness. We will continue to make the necessary investments for this in 2016 and the following years. In the future, the BMW Group’s leading position should additionally be measured by its strength in innovation and profitability.

Thank you.

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

Strategy Number ONE>NEXT

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The individual mobility of the future is an exciting but also highly complex endeavor. Ultimately, what we do is inspire people, accompanying and supporting them and making their daily lives more convenient. The BMW Group is a company that has focused on the long term for the past 100 years. And this will continue to be our approach in the future. With our Strategy Number ONE>NEXT, we are looking ahead to the year 2020 and beyond that, up to 2025.

Our corporate strategy guides our actions. It allows us:

  • to identify trends in our business environment early on;
  • to set ourselves ambitious goals and swiftly determine the actions necessary to achieve them;
  • to improve our existing operations continuously and to tap into profitable new business areas;
  • to ensure a corporate culture within the company which provides the ideal basis to implement strategic measures successfully.

Since 2001, the BMW Group has focused solely on premium with its three brands BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce. Since 2007 and the introduction of Strategy Number ONE, the company has grown to a new level. We have developed successfully from being the leading manufacturer of premium vehicles to becoming the leading provider of premium mobility and services.

Over the past few years, however, our world has continued to change – even faster and more dramatically than ever before.

Today, we are operating within a completely different setting. The update of our Strategy is based on the transformation taking place in our industry. Our starting point was a comprehensive analysis of trends. Consequently, we have identified seven fields of action relevant to the BMW Group. One of them is digitalization. New technologies create new opportunities for the automotive industry, but also pose major challenges. The value creation is shifting from the actual hardware toward software and services.

We can feel the changes in all business areas along the entire value chain. Mastering them requires new skill sets. This development is also changing the new competitive situation in our industry. In addition to the very intense competition in the premium segment, established carmakers are now confronted with competitors from outside the industry. These companies are characterized by a highly dynamic structure, an aggressive approach and substantial financial leeway. They focus exclusively on future technologies and work with the data of their customers.

As a result, there are changes at the customer interface, which is so vital to us. In this digital day and age, a decisive role is played by data and the added value for customers which can be generated from that data. How data is handled has a major impact on the overall customer experience. This is an opportunity for established carmakers to set themselves apart from new competitors. In the past we have always adjusted to customer-specific needs.

Within a complex competitive environment, the cost competition will only intensify. Operational excellence is imperative to being able to increase efficiency further and to invest in the future. When it comes to drive train technologies, for instance, we will continue to follow a multi-track approach that allow us to comply with the increasingly strict legal regulations on emission reductions all around the globe.

We will have to succeed in these efforts within a highly volatile environment. Maximum flexibility is needed to stay our course in an uncertain environment.

We have taken into account all the trends I’ve just listed. The update of our strategy has followed a dynamic, evolutionary approach – including disruptive elements. It’s simply called Strategy Number ONE>NEXT.

The transformation of traditional mobility is a process – one that will extend over a longer period of time, even though the pace will increase exponentially over the course of this development. We are leading the BMW Group into a new era. To this end, we leverage innovative technologies, comprehensive connectivity and zero-emission mobility. All of these need to be industrialized, bearing in mind our business responsibilities, and in a sustainable manner, which in itself is another great challenge.

Previously Strategy Number ONE was depicted by a house with four columns. Strategy Number ONE>NEXT is represented by a more dynamic structure – this arrow. Its asymmetrical form illustrates the need to think out of the box. The arrow pointing to the future consists of four elements: Vision, competitive advantage, strategic compass, corporate culture.

Our new vision is: We are Number ONE. We inspire people on the move. We shape tomorrow’s individual premium mobility.

In a competitive environment, we rely on our inherent strengths: We unite excitement, responsibility and success. We have the most emotional products and attractive services. We offer the best customer experience with the most aspirational brands in the premium segment.

We aim to secure our long-term success and to set standards amongst our competitors.

To this end, we have defined six key focus areas:

  • Brands & Design;
  • Products;
  • Technologies;
  • Customer Experience & Services;
  • Digitalization;

These elements are derived from the trends I mentioned earlier, and anticipate a fundamental transformation of our industry. Let me comment on Brands & Design, Products, Customer Experience and Digitalization.

Premium is to a large extent defined through the presence and strength of the brands. Design plays a vital role here as it is a differentiating feature. Our goal remains unchanged: to lead in terms of brands and design. A comprehensive brand orchestration management – including clearly defined roles – is the basis for our operations. In the future, we will secure the ideal outcome by applying a Group perspective to all our decisions on new products and services.

This is the prerequisite for taking our design to the next level and for determining the ideal time for the market launch of new products. This Group-wide interaction will enable us to achieve much more. We already occupy a future-oriented position in the market with our brands and products, covering all requirements in the premium segment.

With Strategy Number ONE>NEXT, we will expand our product portfolio in all brands and all segments.

This includes:

  1. The market leadership in the upper segments.
  2. The expansion of the BMW M product program.
  3. The expansion of the BMW i lineup.

Let me be clear: BMW is and will remain our core brand. Leadership in the luxury class strengthens the BMW brand’s premium positioning. Over the course of the next few years, we will strategically launch new BMW products in the market, accompanied by BMW M and BMW i models. A good example is the BMW 7 Series with its iPerformance and M Performance variants.

They demonstrate: how our technologies are charting the future course of the luxury segment, that we are responding to the different wishes expressed by our customers and that we offer Sheer Driving Pleasure in many different forms.

The luxury class will remain a high-margin segment, so we intend to enhance our presence by adding another new model.

Our BMW X model range is becoming more and more popular with customers. We have already announced a new addition to this lineup: the X7, due out in 2018.

On to my second point:

BMW M is another example where high demand and profitability come together. Since 2010, sales of M and M Performance vehicles have approximately quadrupled. It is not only an obvious choice from a business perspective to continue investment in this field, but it will also benefit our customers. New M and M Performance models will be put on the road as early as this year. One example is the new BMW M2 Coupe to be launched in April, which is geared especially toward younger customers. The new BMW M4 GTS comes in a limited edition of 700 units and has already sold out.

We are planning to close any gaps in the M portfolio. We also see growth potential in M Performance. In the future, M Performance will have a significantly wider share in our model portfolio. As you can see, we are taking advantage of the growth potential in the high-margin segments. After all, the evolution will continue to fund the revolution in the coming years.

Let’s move on to the third point:

The expansion of BMW i. With BMW i, we have managed to very quickly create a globally known brand that embodies sustainability. Since its introduction in 2013, we have delivered more than 50,000 BMW i vehicles to customers. Today, the BMW i lineup has a larger market presence than any other electric vehicle. BMW i assumes a key role as an enabler for our BMW core brand: BMW i attracts new customers to BMW. BMW i gives people easy access to electromobility as part of DriveNow. 20 percent of our car-sharing fleet is already fitted with an electric drive. BMW i is also instrumental in tapping new sales strategies via new channels or internet orders.

Our viewpoint on e-mobility is clear: Electro-mobility delivers a solution to the demands of urban mobility, today and tomorrow. We are charting a clear course, and we will continue to do so. We are further expanding the BMW family.

An additional i3 model will be offered from the second half of this year on: Its battery capacity has increased by 50 percent. And we have also revised the design.

In 2018, we will launch an emotional brand shaper based on the i8 – the BMW i8 Roadster. The next few years will see further progress in terms of the vehicles’ range, for both BEVs and PHEVs.

The knowledge and experience we gain through BMW i flows as appropriate into our entire range. That’s what iPerformance stands for. In the future, we will offer all BMW models with a plug-in hybrid drive under this label. From July onward, customers will be able to choose from a total of seven BMW models that are either fully electric or fitted with a plug-in hybrid drive. Additional electrified models are due out in the following years. One of them will be a MINI with a plug-in hybrid drive. And of course our iPerformance customers will also benefit from the BMW 360° ELECTRIC offering, including a wall-mounted rapid-charge box and ChargeNow, the world’s largest network of public charging stations.

A completely new i model is scheduled to follow early in the next decade. We call it BMW i NEXT. This highly innovative model will be BMW i’s new spearhead of innovation and technology. It will enable us to take BMW i to the next level. In doing so, we rely on our experience in electro-mobility. The i NEXT will cover all aspects relevant in the future: autonomous driving, digital connectivity, intelligent lightweight construction, a trendsetting interior and the next generation of electro-mobility.

One key strategic approach is Technologies. Digitalization has brought about technological possibilities that can make driving more comfortable and most of all safer. On top of that, they connect mobility with all other areas of life. We are determined to assume the leading role in the digital transformation of the automotive industry. More about this essential topic from Mr. Fröhlich in a moment.

But for now, let’s move on to the strategic approach of Digitalization. Digitalization is the most effective driver of the transformation in the automotive industry – as it impacts all areas of our company. This is why we have decided to focus on three priorities: Digital customer experiences, connected and autonomous driving and business processes.

Digitalization means we will be better able to anticipate and meet our customers’ needs. In the future, we want to offer people tailor-made products and services along the entire customer lifecycle. These features will increase customer loyalty and the customer lifetime value.

In this context, it doesn’t matter if our customers’ point of contact is real or virtual. Because in the future, the crucial point is to have a diverse and innovative offering of premium services for individual mobility. The BMW Group has incorporated mobility services and digital services in its business model early on. Just think of DriveNow, ParkNow and ChargeNow. And we will continue to expand our offerings in these fields – to make them more convenient and thereby simplify our customers’ mobile life. One option would be to complement our existing car-sharing program with a premium ride-sharing service.

I’d now like to invite Klaus Fröhlich to explain more about our plans.

Klaus Fröhlich, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Harald Krüger has already explained to us the challenges and opportunities in our business environment and the focus of Strategy Number ONE>NEXT. What I would like to do is outline the four strategic directions we will adopt as we implement our strategy. Why do we think this is important?

  1. 1. Implementing our technologies will give us a competitive advantage over other manufacturers and new players entering the automotive business. And in terms of Digital Services, we are going to lay the foundations required to offer our customers a superior service range that exceeds their needs.
  1. For those of us who work in BMW Group Research and Development, the future is already here today. We first took to the road with autonomous driving in 2011 – and even used our systems on public roads. Right now, we are already developing our fifth generation of electric motors, due for launch in 2020.
  1. From highly emotional design to the interaction with and use of our vehicles, we want to be even more rigorous in adopting the customer’s perspective on our products. That’s why we have redesigned the way we work.

For Research and Development at the BMW Group, this means: We are evolving from a mechanical engineering business to a tech company. That’s why I would like to start by taking a brief look at the technologies we are already offering today to address two key megatrends: alternative drivetrain systems and digitalization.

Strategy Number ONE, which we launched in 2007, laid the foundations for sustainable drivetrain systems with EfficientDynamics and project i. Today, the BMW Group has the most extensive portfolio of electric motor drivetrains in our competitive field.

With iPerformance, we have been able to make these drivetrains an integral part of our architectures. As modular systems, they ensure maximum flexibility for our range of conventional and alternative drivetrain systems for the next ten years – so we can meet not only customer needs but also the legal requirements that are developing.

Our new 7 Series is the first model to feature our highly flexible cluster architecture. The digitalization features in it are impressive evidence of our innovativeness and include: Remote Control Parking, the Active cruise control and Steering and lane control assistant, which can take over from the driver to control longitudinal movement as well as lateral movements to 210 km/h. Various control options like natural speech recognition, gesture, touch, and iDrive units, the broadest spectrum of ConnectedDrive Services, right through to over-the-air updates for various vehicle functions.

However, at the BMW Group, when we look ahead to the future, we look far beyond what’s around the next corner. As stress and traffic levels rise and time becomes increasingly scarce, how are we going to deliver sheer driving pleasure in the future?

At this year’s CES, I presented our vision of connected, autonomous driving – with this car right next to me, the BMW i Vision Future Interaction. Before it even sets off, this vehicle has set its interior temperature to the ideal level. It also knows the best way to go, and suggests various parking space available to reserve. It also has all the latest information, fed to it from the Cloud – such as real-time maps from HERE – or from its own sensors.

So the journey is not only simpler but also safer. In autonomous mode, the interior transforms into a spacious state-of-the-art office for comfortable communication. In this concept car, we realized the interior of the future – because when vehicles are connected and drive themselves, our customers will experience and use the interior in a completely new way.

We come now to Strategy Number ONE>NEXT: Our development division wants to ensure the BMW Group remains technology leader:

To achieve that, we are going to restructure our operations with a strong focus on two key future topics:

  1. Powertrain technologies with EfficientDynamics NEXT and the development of electric vehicles powered by battery or fuel cells.
  2. Digitalization with enhanced connectivity, artificial intelligence and the development of self-driving premium vehicles.

Let’s take a closer look at the first of these two points: powertrain technologies.

Regulations and society are changing faster and faster, so this point is of major importance to us. Efficient Dynamics is all about combining power and efficiency in equal measure. Over the last few years, we have consistently enhanced our Efficient Dynamics technology package, and still see a number of areas with significant potential for us. With EfficientDynamics NEXT, we are making the benefits of this technology package even easier for customers to experience in our combustion-engined vehicles. We’re doing so through additional functions to enhance emotive dynamics and efficiency. Two examples are the Boost function, for extra-dynamic acceleration, and the comfortable engine Start-Stop function as well as intelligent, anticipatory assistance systems that help our customers manage their personal mobility even better – by predicting changing traffic signals, for example.

There’s one thing I am sure of: Over the next 20 years, we will still have more than just one type of drivetrain system. Another reason why we will still need to offer our customers a range of drivetrain systems is the different requirements in the different markets around the world. These mean we will need revolutionary alternative systems just as much as evolutionary conventional ones, and hybrids.

The BMW i3 and BMW i8 have made us a trendsetter in electric mobility. Over the next few years, we will be adding to our i family, with iPerformance ensuring technology transfer into our series models.

To do this, we will offer electric models in nearly every BMW series. Our latest plug-in hybrids incorporate our third generation of modular electrification systems. And development work is already under way on our fifth generation for 2020+.

Enhancing and electrifying our conventional engines will allow us to continue meeting, our CO2 targets even in the future. However, our customers also expect us to offer larger vehicles with alternative drivetrains and far more range. To meet their demands, we are enhancing not only our battery cell technologies but also hydrogen fuel cell technologies. At the moment we are testing a small fleet of hydrogen-powered BMW 5 Series GTs. These cars accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in 8.4 seconds, with a top speed of 180 km/h. They have a range of between 450 and 700 km, depending on their tank technology.

Customer focus means two things to us: One the one hand, it means continuing to offer customized drive train solutions. On the other, it means viable implementation of those solutions, with maximum synergies and minimum complexity between technology paths. One example of this is the fuel-cell, which is an electric drivetrain in which the battery has just been largely replaced by a fuel cell system.

That’s why we have taken deliberate steps to broaden our core expertise in the field of powertrain development.

We come now to our second future topic: Digitalization.

‘Digitalization’ is the word of the moment. Everybody is talking about it. Translated quite simply into the context of the automotive industry, three strands of action emerge:

  1. Business processes: these are the processes by which we develop, produce and sell our vehicles. In the future these are going to change fundamentally – not only within the BMW Group but also in the way we network with our partners from suppliers to service providers.
  1. Competition for customers: the internet, with its minimal transaction costs and wealth of data, is making competition tougher all the time. So for our Digital Services, we need to develop the best possible understanding of the customer and superior technical solutions, for example through artificial intelligence.
  1. The vehicle of the future will be fully networked and self-driving.

Today, allow me to focus on this last point:

Connectivity is a key prerequisite for the vehicle of the future. Our products already have their own integrated SIM cards today, making them an integral part of the Internet of Things. And our digital services and apps, called BMW ConnectedDrive, are already connecting our customers with various areas of their lives. What we now want to do is seamlessly interconnect our customers with their cars, customized services and the world around them. Direct interactions with our customers are of key importance.

However, one thing is perfectly clear: Vehicle and data security are our top priority. That’s why, moving into the future, we will link every vehicle with a BMW backend server to keep customers’ details secure, with firewalls, encryption and anonymization. From our customers’ perspective, future connectivity will have a name: BMW Connected – the name of their customized digital companion.

In years to come, our customers will have all the important mobility information they need – at home, in the car, when they are out and about on foot, or using public transport. It will always be up to date and constantly accessible via any end device. Moreover, with the help of the integrated Mobility Cloud, we will learn more and more about what they want and need, and be able to customize our mobility services accordingly. This will allow us to offer the best services in our field of competition. That’s our goal.

BMW Connected will launch before the year is out. In the future, vehicles will be intelligent and able to drive themselves. For us, this is once again a question of customer benefit – because we want our customers to decide for themselves how they will drive. Without freedom of choice there can be no sheer driving pleasure. We have been working on autonomous driving for more than ten years.

Our first test vehicle autonomously completed a lap of the Hockenheimring race track in 2006. In 2009, a test vehicle navigated the 73 bends on the Northern Loop of the Nürburgring – autonomously and at racing speed. In 2011, a test vehicle drove on the A9 from Munich towards Nuremberg – without any driver intervention. And now, starting with the new 7 Series, we are gradually introducing elements of highly autonomous driving into our series vehicles.

However, we firmly believe that this decade will not see large-scale production of an autonomous vehicle that meets the premium needs of our customers. The most we foresee is pilot tests in a restricted setting. We believe that, at the moment, the technical and social challenges involved are still too great.

In addition, adjustments must be made to the legal implications for customers and manufacturers.

The BMW Group has a clear goal: To be the leader in the field of autonomous driving. This is a goal we are rigorously pursuing, and we are working systematically to establish the conditions that are needed. Our high-precision map service, HERE, offers real-time data to all customers, with millions of anonymized data items enhancing map quality all the time. This will allow the BMW of the future to move around using the latest digital environment model with an augmented digital horizon. The intelligent vehicle will warn the driver of danger ahead and prepare well in advance. We are also improving our vehicle sensors to pick up even more detailed information about the immediate surroundings. And to interpret the data we collect, we will make comprehensive use of artificial intelligence, not only in the vehicle but also in the BMW backend server. In addition, we will work proactively to help clarify the general conditions necessary for autonomous driving. Our goal is to realize autonomous driving within a holistic end-to-end approach. And that sets us apart from other companies.

I said at the beginning of my speech today that: We are working to ensure that the BMW Group remains technology leader. We know what we need to do. We are going to develop the vehicles of the future. And we are going to develop and enhance our own division as well.

Project i brought us sustainable mobility – with breakthrough innovations in the fields of electrification, lightweight engineering and sustainability. Strategy Number ONE>NEXT marks the launch of Project i 2.0. Our goal is to achieve a sustainable, fully networked, self-driving vehicle. That’s why our development division has now been restructured and enhanced – to consistently reflect digitalization.

Harald Krüger mentioned the i NEXT. This vehicle will take our strategy out onto the road with convincing results: Developed with consistent lightweight engineering, alternative drivetrains, fully connected and highly autonomous driving and a futuristic interior.

In the years ahead, the i NEXT will be what our BMW 7 Series is today: individual mobility in its finest and most contemporary form.

Thank you very much.

Dr. Friedrich Eichiner, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance

Ladies and Gentlemen,

We want to maintain our leadership – both in terms of our strength in innovation and competitiveness.

The digital transformation of our industry offers huge potential. To seize these opportunities, we will need to invest in the future – using our own resources and simultaneously maintaining our profitability.

We have already begun to become more efficient: in development and production as well as at our customer interface. Our clear strategy and our employees’ outstanding expertise and commitment provide a solid foundation for our future success.

Nevertheless, we also have to consider external factors that could impact our future success. The main challenges we see currently are stricter regulatory requirements, as well as difficult market and competitive conditions. We also have to contend with increased volatility in the global economy and other key areas, such as currencies and raw material pricing.

Our strategy is designed to achieve a balance between investment in the future and profitability. We want both: to maintain our current high level of profitability whilst laying the groundwork for the future.

By focussing on profitability, and the measures needed to achieve it, we aim to keep profitability within our target range over the long term.

After a period of strong growth, we are now optimising our core business. We want to ensure our business model remains fit by accelerating decision-making processes and building leaner structures. Our experience in new business fields like BMW I provides valuable input to this end.

This will give us the flexibility to really focus on the future. We plan to refine our business model, so that we can continue to offer our customers the most attractive, most desirable products and services in the future. That is our vision and our motivation!

I would like to give you some examples for measures and initiatives that are in implementation. On the performance side, we aim to strengthen profitability: Our product strategy is focused on expanding our vehicle portfolio in the higher-margin segments.

The BMW brand, for example, will make the biggest gains in the luxury class and the dynamic M market. This will be complemented by new offerings in the fast-growing SUV segment. The higher-quality product mix will support our level of profitability.

We also expect digital, customer-centric technology solutions to make a growing contribution to earnings: Attractive, user-friendly solutions for of automated driving and innovative services will make our customers’ lives easier and safer. These kinds of solutions add value and, therefore, have their price.

We will also optimise our cost structures by increasing productivity and enhancing our operational excellence – beyond the usual annual increases in efficiency.

A great deal has been achieved in recent years through diverse profitability initiatives in all divisions. That is driven by standardisation, process improvement and prioritisation.

Our approach is based on uniform, optimised processes starting from the development phase.

In addition, we will enhance our use of product and process modules, as well as shared vehicles and drive systems architectures – making development and production more efficient.

By way of an example, the new rear-wheel-drive architecture introduced with the new 7 Series provides the basis for cost optimization across multiple future models.

At the same time, we will also make a conscious effort to reinforce the high quality and innovative character of our portfolio. Both are important purchase criteria for our customers and an integral part of our premium standards.

In the mid-term we expect to become more efficient by starting cooperation between our purchasing, production and sales and marketing divisions at an even earlier stage, which will help better deliver on the requirements of each division.

A good example of this is the Simplify Initiative, based on the idea of consistent simplification. Its main aim is to

reduce both costs and complexity.

We are currently identifying potential to further optimise our vehicle portfolio. Starting with true customer requirements, we will take a hard look at both variants and equipment options.

This will allow us to lower costs and reduce complexity in development, production and aftersales –without detriment to the customer.

The new positioning of the MINI brand, with five core models, is one example of how we can reduce complexity. Going forward, MINI will offer fewer, more independent models, with a sharper profile. In line with this thinking we have decided not to offer successors to three existing models.

Based on our Simplify approach, we expect an overall significant reduction of complexities and one-off expenditures. In figures, we anticipate savings in the three-digit-million euro range over the coming years.

In production, the structures and processes we use are increasingly standardised. We are now able to use virtually uniform production processes, systems and machines worldwide.

Standardised processes will lead to efficiency improvements and result in economies of scale in purchasing as well as a higher manufacturing quality.

Furthermore, our new production systems can also be used for longer – beyond a single lifecycle. All of this has a positive effect on both capital employed and capital expenditure.

We also anticipate cost benefits from the digitalisation of production and logistics. Developments in Industry 4.0 will enable new and less cost-intensive production methods. Such efficient methods and processes have already been realized in the planning of new production sites, such as in Mexico, thus serving as a best-practice solution for all our international plants.

One example you are probably familiar with is the lightweight robot that works alongside employees without a safety guard. We expect the application of new robots and modern development and production methods, such as virtual reality, data goggles and 3-D printing, to yield further efficiency potential in the future.

The BMW Group is growing on a global scale. The company is pursuing a targeted approach to establish production capacity and supplier relationships in countries with growth potential. This not only makes us more robust and more flexible, but also enables us to exploit the competitive advantage of international locations. China and NAFTA are a particular focus.

We will implement both – a long-term, profitable, traditional business model and a shift towards new technologies and business segments. We will achieve this within our own financial means. This two-pronged approach requires even greater operational excellence, productivity and efficiency from the BMW Group. Not to mention a high level of agility, a willingness to change and a passion to embrace new technologies and processes.

We will naturally set ourselves ambitions financial targets to assure the company’s long-term profitability – with clear milestones up to 2020.

In recent years, the BMW Motorrad segment and Financial Services, in particular, have made a growing contribution to earnings and improved the company’s profitability as a whole. This will remain our focus in the future.

In acknowledging this development, the BMW Group will introduce additional key performance indicators from the year 2017 onwards: At Group level the company will target an EBT margin of at least 10%. The Motorcycles segment will adopt an EBIT margin target range of 8-10%.

In the Financial Services segment, we will maintain our target of a return on capital employed of at least 18%.

Our target ratio for R&D activities remains within the 5-5.5% range of revenue, as before.

There has been a change in the definition of our capex ratio, which will no longer include capitalised development costs. The target for this ratio will be less than 5% of revenue. In 2015, this ratio was at 4.2%. We will drive cost discipline, hand-in-hand with extensive investment in future projects.

However, securing our innovative strength, it is possible that we could exceed the targeted range by exception in selected years.

And finally: the free cash flow for the Automotive segment is targeted to be over € 3 billion per annum.

These financial targets assume that overall political and economic conditions remain stable.

The BMW Group is embarking on the next 100 Years with a clear strategy towards future growth and success.

We will transform our business based on our independence and strength. We have the financial power, the relevant know-how and we are ready to embrace change.

Thank you.

Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The implementation of our Strategy Number ONE>Next relies heavily on a well-functioning/excellent corporate culture that supports and perpetuates this further development.

The BMW Group has a strong corporate culture. It is characterized by solidarity and our people’s strong identification with the company and its brands. However, to prepare for future challenges we have to develop further. We respond to our highly dynamic environment by applying our strengths. At the same time, we will significantly step up the momentum when it comes to being more flexible and agile during the transformation of our industry.

All of that must be reflected in our corporate culture – and by that I mean: in our structures and processes, but first and foremost in our actions. So we have defined five values, which will be vital in our future cooperation: Responsibility, appreciation, transparency, trust, and openness.

These values provide a sound foundation for our implementation of Number ONE>NEXT.

Thank you!

[/learn_more]

#trending

#trending

Αξίζει να δεις
Featured

Περισσότερα νέα

Η AC Schnitzer βελτιώνει την BMW X5 facelift

Ο βελτιωτικός οίκος AC Schnitzer παρουσιάζει το νέο bodykit που ετοίμασε για την ανανεωμένη BMW X5. Αυτό αποτελείται spoiler στον μπροστινό προφυλακτήρα, αεροτομή, φουσκώματα...

Η Renegade Design βελτιώνει τη νέα BMW Σειρά 5

Η Renegade Design είναι ένας βελτιωτικός οίκος με έδρα το Ντουμπάι και έχει προσφέρει ένα bodykit για τη νέα γενιά της BMW 5 Series. https://youtu.be/mJN_poHtpLs Το...

Ανανέωση για τις BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe και i4

Λίγους μήνες μετά την αποκάλυψη των ανανεωμένων 4-Series και M4, η BMW παρουσιάσει τις ανανεωμένες 4 Series Gran Coupe και i4. Τα αυτοκίνητα αποκτούν...

Επίσημο: Mini Aceman

Η Mini παρουσίασε επίσημα το Aceman, το νέο της μικρό, αμιγώς ηλεκτρικό crossover που μοιράζεται μεγάλο μέρος των μηχανικών του μερών με το νέο...