[Mani59]

     Featured on BIMMERPOST.com

BMW pumping mega money into Dingolfing to ramp up the production of their electric vehicles so that in a couple of years, they will be producing 500,000+ cars!

Quite an effort!

MUNICH -- BMW said it will invest 500 million euros ($563 million) at its largest European factory as the automaker bolsters its electric-car manufacturing capabilities to better compete with rivals including Tesla.

BMW will add eight production lines for battery modules and electric motors at the Dingolfing plant in Germany, with four additional lines to be added later, the company said in a news release on Thursday.

By 2022, the site will be able to build electric drives for more than 500,000 cars a year, according to CEO Oliver Zipse.

The upgrades are coming at a crucial time for Zipse, who is trying to prove that his strategy of making combustion, hybrid and electric vehicles on the same production line can result in products capable of competing with those made by Elon Musk’s Tesla.

Volkswagen, in contrast, spent billions of euros on developing a dedicated platform for its e-cars and has switched an entire factory in Zwickau to make battery-powered vehicles based on the new technology.

BMW’s newest battery motors made in Dingolfing and elsewhere are to power the company’s EVs in the coming years.

The first car produced with the new technology will be the iX3 SUV that is assembled in China. BMW’s flagship iNEXT SUV and its i4 electric sedan, both slated for a 2021 release, will also use the technology.

Zipse is trying to balance the investment with cost-cutting needed to survive the slump sparked by the coronavirus pandemic.

Like other carmakers, BMW saw its sales plunge between March and May, and is now working to reduce headcount by about 6,000 people. The company also scrapped a joint venture with Daimler meant to research next-generation self-driving cars.

Source: https://europe.autonews.com/automake...n-german-plant

[AUSf22]

Let's hope these ones don't catch on fire

[Dog Face Pony Soldier]

Tesla sold 367k vehicles in 2019.
It will be interesting to see where BMW thinks their 500k buyers will be coming from.

[BSquared+]

"able to produce 500,000 vehicles by 2022"!

Sure, but based on their performance and customer demand, they'll probably kick out about 10,000-15,000 at best. Yawn.

[ron_jeremy]

The ultimate driving machine is not a multipurpose vehicle that will excel as both ICE and EV.
It will only give decent ICE and mediocer EV with rubbish inside space.
These solution are only for cheap low end cars like PSA and the Koreans.
Pathetic

[VetteGuy]

Customer demand will continue to grow as charging options increase, but obviously so too will the competition for that customer base grow from every manufacturer. A decade from now the ICE may be a rarity and soon after that a page in automotive history books.

[Miko M]

They should open up new Gigafactory in Berlin next to Tesla
Ohhh wait....that's Tesla's 3rd one already

[///M TOWN]

Originally Posted by Dog Face Pony Soldier

Tesla sold 367k vehicles in 2019.
It will be interesting to see where BMW thinks their 500k buyers will be coming from.

The #1 Tesla buyer is trading in their once highly regarded BMW

Go figure

[ron_jeremy]

Originally Posted by Miko M

They should open up new Gigafactory in Berlin next to Tesla
Ohhh wait....that's Tesla's 3rd one already

The location was actually intended to locate a BMW factory. Now Musk has it, things change fast

[SteveinArizona]

If they continue to set out their hybrids as economy vessels, I don't see them selling many more. But if they start selling them as performance models ("hot" hybrids), then they can be the "ultimate driving machines" with lots of instant torque.

But first BMW has to get its head out of its rear end. They are bringing the 530e to the US but not the 545e which is the only way I would upgrade. BMW should leave the economy fuel efficient models to the mainstream sellers (Ford, Toyota, VW, etc.) and focus on performance.

[Miko M]

Originally Posted by ron_jeremy

The location was actually intended to locate a BMW factory. Now Musk has it, things change fast

He is at least decade ahead of everyone.

[claykin]

Originally Posted by Miko M

He is at least decade ahead of everyone.

If you evaluated the build quality of many Tesla's, they're about a decade ahead of Yugo.

[Miko M]

Originally Posted by claykin

If you evaluated the build quality of many Tesla's, they're about a decade ahead of Yugo.

Are you saying Lada was a bad car

JK I know they have been rushing to get cars out but if you look how was made ( taken car in pieces) they were very impressed.

Edit: something to read about what I mentioned above

https://insideevs.com/news/342649/te...he-cars-magic/

[claykin]

Originally Posted by Miko M

Are you saying Lada was a bad car

JK I know they have been rushing to get cars out but if you look how was made ( taken car in pieces) they were very impressed.

Edit: something to read about what I mentioned above

https://insideevs.com/news/342649/te...he-cars-magic/

Google "Tesla build quality". They seem to let obvious paint flaws through factory QC, amongst other things. Much like 1980s American cars.

[cfm56d7b]

Whether by accident or intent, BMW (and others) decided to allow Tesla become an interim leader, observe Tesla's mistakes and learn from them while developing its own EVs.

To be second for a while is a strategy that can work. Lots of examples can be drawn from history.

[TheBingoBalls]

Originally Posted by cfm56d7b

Whether by accident or intent, BMW (and others) decided to allow Tesla become an interim leader, observe Tesla's mistakes and learn from them while developing its own EVs.

To be second for a while is a strategy that can work. Lots of examples can be drawn from history.

100%.

I'm reading all comments and it reads like it's so easy for BMW, Mercedes and Audi to just drop what they have been doing for decades and just switch over to EV just like that. It is significantly easier (though I'm sure Tesla and Elon Musk had their barriers) to start building an entire EV market when you are starting from nothing.

Tesla took the risk in putting out a full EV and it paid off, something everyone else couldn't do without risking everything. Now that Tesla has shown how EV's can be viable, everyone else just needs to learn to do it better which I have zero doubt can and will eventually happen.

If this is BMW's roadmap, I'm optimistic that that they know what they are doing with all the hybrids and the i3/i8 they have put out. I can't say the same thing about Mercedes and Audi which have put out very little in terms of consumer products compared to BMW.

[shawnhayes]

Coming from an i3s owner, the tech in the body of the i3 makes the Tesla's look like prehistory. While it won't last because of the cost, it's very unique.

And, it's the only on sale with a gasoline backup, which makes it the only choice as a only car. (Excluding the plug in hybrids with limited range, of course, but none of those are really EV's, just a little EV -"spice up" to acknowledge the coming future)

Shawn