If you were asked which automaker sold the most luxury cars in the US last year, what would your first guess be? Lexus? BMW? Mercedes Benz? Would you be surprised to learn that the answer is Tesla, which has knocked BMW off its pedestal after three years in a row?
In a recent interview with Automotive News, Sebastian Mackensen, CEO of BMW of North America, said the company’s priority, at least in the near term, is the transition to battery electric vehicles, or BEVs. Tesla, of course, only sells EVs, while EVs accounted for just 5% of BMW’s U.S. sales last year. Mackensen expressed confidence that those sales will more than double this year and believed that electric vehicles would “drive demand over the long term” and would only be held back by the lack of a suitable charging structure.
Electric vehicles need to be charged every few hundred kilometers or so. While charging at home is part of the solution, it cannot be the only solution. Since not everyone is able to install a charger at home, public chargers are a necessity. Mackensen calls on communities, governments and manufacturers to do more to expand the charging infrastructure.
BMW of North America, LLC
Nonetheless, BMW remains confident that demand for traditional internal combustion engine vehicles will remain strong. Since the company operates in different markets with different requirements for electric vehicles, it must have a diverse portfolio. BMW is focused on responding to customer concerns and ensuring customers have a choice between electric vehicles and traditional internal combustion engine vehicles. The ultimate driving machine, says Mackensen, can be both.
BMW currently offers three electric vehicles, the i4, the iX and the i7, and the i5 is available for pre-order.
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