[msej449]

I was around in the 1970s/80s when GM and the rest were laughing at tiny European and Japanese cars with 4-cylinder engines, saying that they just weren’t what US buyers wanted. Then they went quiet for a while. Then they started complaining about foreign ‘subsidised’ and ‘state’ car company imports, and called for tariffs. Then GM went bust, and had to be bailed out with taxpayer $dollars.

The same is going to happen again if GM et al can’t adapt to meet the demand for EVs.

Which isn’t to say that demand for conventional petrol and diesel cars is going to disappear. Just that like in the 70s/80s they can’t afford to get the balance wrong, and if they do misjudge, it’ll be the Chinese who capture the global EV market.

[lenfried]

I am glad that I bought my 2025 BMW X4M Competition without knowing it was the last production year of the ICE model. Jump on the last wagon so to speak.

[HP Autosport]

Start building charging statiions or have NACS or CCS and NACS combo on the vehicle's driver's side, and you will likely sell more cars.

[Tallest]

Originally Posted by Accident

BMW EVs have been profitable for a while.

https://insideevs.com/news/713353/bm...neue-klasse-x/
"Its current lineup of EVs, like the BMW i5, i4 and iX, are profitable, a company spokesperson told InsideEVs."

https://nytimes.com/2024/03/09/busin...e=articleShare
"What is even more surprising is that BMW, unlike General Motors or Ford Motor, made a profit on the electric vehicles it sold."

BMW Sees Top-End EVs Driving Profit Even as Demand Cools - Bloomberg
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...s-demand-cools

https://www.dw.com/en/bmw-says-elect...profitable.%22
"We make money with every electric car today, and that will be even more the case with the Neue Klasse," Zipse said. "It will be very profitable."

How do they actually account for profitability on EV side? Does it include some credit schemes, etc? Like Tesla, which has carbon credit sales boost bottom line a lot? AFAIK they flopped on Northvolt, they benefit though from platform sharing I assume as only few platforms (IX mainly) is EV only...

This is strange, because IX is similar to Q8 Etron, similar to the mix of Macan EV/Taycan and all of those cars are loss making. Audi is shutting down Q8 Etron (arguably, crappy range so terrible EV) and Porsche spends like 130k on each EV to build one, so without options those cars dont make any money, Taycan likely to be axed and Macan SUV EV is a sales flop. And yet, here is BMW making money on all EVs. Very interesting!

[Accident]

Originally Posted by Tallest

How do they actually account for profitability on EV side? Does it include some credit schemes, etc? Like Tesla, which has carbon credit sales boost bottom line a lot? AFAIK they flopped on Northvolt, they benefit though from platform sharing I assume as only few platforms (IX mainly) is EV only...

This is strange, because IX is similar to Q8 Etron, similar to the mix of Macan EV/Taycan and all of those cars are loss making. Audi is shutting down Q8 Etron (arguably, crappy range so terrible EV) and Porsche spends like 130k on each EV to build one, so without options those cars dont make any money, Taycan likely to be axed and Macan SUV EV is a sales flop. And yet, here is BMW making money on all EVs. Very interesting!

In their earnings release, BMW combines EV and ICE revenue and profits, so it's difficult to separate the figures. Keep in mind that BMW sold 426K BEVs last year compared to Audi’s 164K. BMW also keeps its production lines busy. The i4 is built in Munich on the same production line as the ICE G26 and G20. It's very rare for the Munich plant to experience unplanned idling. In contrast, the Q8 e-tron is produced in a dedicated factory that Audi plans to close this year due to low demand.

[Mr. Jonathan]

If this were to come with an S58 I would be harassing the local dealer to get an order in. Not going with the EV, we already have an IX which the wife loves.

Per the images, I think this is one of the best looking models BMW has come out with in years (I know that’s not saying much).

[jphcbpa]

Mercedes reporting..
Mercedes Slides On Profit Plunge, Weak Car Guidance

Sales of Mercedes's electric vehicles in 2024 plunged 23 percent, underlining the slowdown in the shift to EVs that is weighing heavily on carmakers across Europe.