BMW: Zipse does not believe in a "rapid conversion" to electric cars

Created: 05/17/2022, 1:55 p.m

By: Simon Mones

BMW boss Oliver Zipse does not believe in a quick switch to the electric car.

Customers should therefore decide which drive they prefer.

Munich – The days of the combustion engine seem to be slowly but surely numbered.

For many manufacturers, the electric car is the future.

That's why Audi no longer wants to sell combustion engines from 2030 onwards.

At BMW, however, they are reluctant, the head of the Munich car manufacturer, Oliver Zipse (58), recently warned against switching too quickly.

He has now reaffirmed this opinion.

While the competition is already naming exit dates, BMW is taking a different approach and focusing on openness to technology.

Customers should decide which drive they prefer.

However, the electric car is also becoming increasingly important in Munich: by 2030 at the latest, half of the vehicles sold worldwide should be battery-electric, Zipse said in an interview with the “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (FAZ)”.

Electric cars are expected to account for half of BMW sales by 2030.

However, Oliver Zipse does not believe in a quick changeover.

(Iconic image) © Sven Hoppe/dpa

BMW: Zipse does not believe in a "rapid conversion" to electric cars

In some cases, the proportion of electric cars could also be higher.

“At the same time, we still sell a six-digit number of diesel vehicles in Europe every year.

At the same time, no other established premium manufacturer worldwide has sold as many battery-electric cars as BMW in the first three months,” emphasizes Zipse.

At the same time, BMW continues to develop the hydrogen fuel cell.

Zipse sees this as a "sensible addition in the upper market segment", since the fuel cell combines the advantages of combustion engines and electric motors.

“It's becoming relevant fastest in California, South Korea and Japan.

These countries are more open than we are here in Germany,” explains the BMW boss, who believes in the brand’s special path.

“Diversity is good, diversity creates resilience.

This is particularly important when the general conditions are changing as quickly as they are right now.”

BMW: Zipse sees a need to catch up on charging stations in Germany

Zipse also feels that the good result in the first quarter confirms that it is on the right track.

That's why BMW is not planning to stop developing combustion engines for the time being - like Audi is planning.

That would only make sense if all customers switched to electric cars in the next ten years.

I won't make that bet."

You can find even more exciting car topics in the free newsletter from 24auto.de, which you can subscribe to right here.

In individual markets, such as Germany or Great Britain, the BMW boss can imagine a quick change.

However, such a “rapid changeover” is not to be expected worldwide.

In order for the transformation to succeed without any problems, however, more charging options are needed.

However, Zipse still sees a need to catch up in Germany: "In Germany, the market for electric cars is growing about five times faster than the supply of charging stations." In the long term, this development could pose a threat to the sale of electric vehicles, emphasizes the 58-year-old.

Therefore, the EU must use the AFIR regulation to oblige the member states to set up an "appropriate charging infrastructure".