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BMW Group Annual Press Conference 2018 (@BMW Welt)

557 views · Published 21 March 2018 · 8:32 · Indexed 22 September 2026

Channel: Motorward · 2018 · Autos & Vehicles

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

Good morning and welcome! I’d like to start by talking about how I view the BMW Group’s current position. I have been with this company for 26 years. During this time, we have experienced many challenges and trends, and undergone various transformations.

At the BMW Group, we have always managed to reinvent our business. The same applies to the financial year 2017: We achieved all of our targets. We delivered more than 2.4 million automobiles and over 164,000 motorcycles last year – a new all-time high.

The BMW Group is the clear number one in the premium segment – and has been for the past 14 years. We aim to make 2018 our ninth record year. For deliveries and revenues in the Automotive segment we are again striving for new all-time-highs. I am certain: The BMW Group has a promising future. This company will definitely be instrumental in shaping future mobility.

There are four good reasons for this:

First: The success of the BMW Group is based on its four strong brands: BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad. They all stand for premium and luxury. Customers all over the world value our products and services. This is reflected in Fortune’s current ranking of the “World’s Most Admired Companies”: The BMW Group is in the Top 20. We are not only the best car company, but also the best European company in this well-known ranking.

Almost 90 percent of our vehicles are sold outside Germany. The biggest model offensive in our history is currently in full swing. We are now in phase two. We will be releasing another 20 new and revised models this year.

In other words, a major offensive. You can see our new BMW design language in highly-emotional products like the 8 Series models, the Z4 and the i8 Roadster.

Customers can also choose from a wide range of different drive trains: From fully-electric and plug-in hybrid to highly-efficient combustion engines.

Second: We will get to know our customers even better and inspire them even more. We will continue to put the customer at the heart of all we do. Our approach is consistently customer-centric.

Third: The BMW Group will lead the technological change. We will be setting new strategic directions for this in 2018. Soon, we will be opening our campus for autonomous driving outside Munich. Over the course of the year, we will present a number of pure-electric concept vehicles that will all go into series production, like: The first all-electric BMW – the iX3. Our new technology flagship, the BMW iNEXT, the captivating BMW i Vision Dynamics, which I just announced in Geneva as the BMW i4. We will produce both the iNEXT and the BMW i4 in Germany. These models are proof of our innovative strength. Last year alone, we invested almost a billion euros more than in 2016. At the same time, we spent nearly a billion euros more on research and development.

Fourth: The BMW Group is operating at a totally different level of performance and global presence than it did just a few years ago. Thanks to our financial strength, we have the resources to manage the transformation towards sustainable and digital mobility. To achieve this, we are enabling our worldwide team. We have invested more than 2.5 billion euros in vocational and professional training for our associates since 2009. BMW Group associates all share a spirit to succeed. Every kind of competition spurs us on.

Our future is definitely electric. With our electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid models, we are already the clear number one in Europe. Efficient Dynamics and our modern diesels will also play a role on the road to sustainable mobility. Last year we sold fewer diesels in Germany and the UK.

As you know, they produce less CO2 than petrol vehicles. Despite this, we were still able to lower our CO2 emissions in Europe to 122 grams per kilometre.

For us, sustainable mobility also includes production and the supply chain: More than 80 percent of the electricity we purchase worldwide, already comes from renewable energies. In Europe, we achieved completely CO2-free production for the first time in 2017. By 2020, we also plan this for our locations worldwide. BMW i shows that: Our responsibility goes far beyond the car. We look at the entire value chain.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Experience has shown that in volatile times, leadership, financial strength and a clear focus are more important than ever. Profitability remains top priority. Strategy NUMBER ONE NEXT is our roadmap for future goals – including: Customer satisfaction. Innovative strength for future mobility. And being an attractive company for young talents. A perfect example of this is seen in China, where we were voted the top employer across all industries.

Thank you!

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