Hams Hall, UK. BMW Group’s Hams Hall plant, located in the UK, has reached a major milestone: For exactly 25 years, the plant near Birmingham has produced highly efficient internal combustion engines for a variety of BMW Group vehicle models. More than 7.6 million engines have shipped from Hams Hall since 2001. The facility supplies numerous production sites worldwide with highly efficient petrol engines for the BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, including drive trains for plug-in hybrid models – making the plant an integral part of the BMW Group’s technology-open approach. Today, Plant Hams Hall produces three and four-cylinder petrol engines to high performance V8 engines, powering vehicles across both BMW and MINI. Separately, the V12 engine is produced at Plant Hams Hall exclusively for Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. Its assembly follows a distinct, bespoke production process, carried out by specially trained engineers and technicians, before final delivery to the Home of Rolls-Royce at Goodwood.

Plant Hams Hall – an integral part of the global production network

"This anniversary is a special milestone for our site," says Dirk Dreher, Head of the BMW Group's Hams Hall plant. "We are a competitive plant and there’s always been a real passion among our workforce to continually improve our manufacturing processes and site. Building on our strong foundation, we are looking forward to remaining a successful plant in the future."

“The Hams Hall plant is an integral part of our global production network,” explains Harald Gottsche, Head of Engine Production at BMW AG. “The site combines technological expertise with high flexibility. It reliably supplies our vehicle plants with efficient, powerful engines of premium quality. This includes the V12 engine – a masterpiece from Hams Hall!”

61% reduction in energy use per engine built since the start of full production

The British engine plant is systematically implementing the principles of the BMW iFACTORY. The strategic vision of the BMW iFACTORY focusses on sustainability, electrification, digitalisation and profitability. From the first concept of the plant to the present day, the Hams Hall team has made sustainability a key consideration. Since the first full year of production, the plant has made a 61% reduction in energy required per engine built, meaning the overall energy to operate the site has remained level even though there has been a considerable increase in production. The plant purchases 100% of its external electricity from renewable energy sources today. It has also worked to reduce its consumption of natural gas.

SpOTTO robotic dog scans and monitors manufacturing equipment

A four-legged autonomous robot named “SpOTTO” joined the Hams Hall team in 2024. The autonomous robotic dog scans the plant, supports maintenance and ensures production processes run smoothly. Equipped with visual, thermal and acoustic sensors, SpOTTO collects valuable data for the plant’s digital twin. It also serves as a watchdog, monitoring the maintenance of production facilities. SpOTTO was developed by Boston Dynamics under the product name “Spot”, an agile robot capable of climbing stairs and traversing rough terrain with ease. At Hams Hall, “Spot” was fondly renamed SpOTTO, paying tribute to the engine plant’s proud heritage: Gustav Otto, one of the founders of BMW, was the son of Nicolaus Otto, inventor of the four-stroke engine.

Fully connected digital twin: Big data on three levels

At the core of the Hams Hall plant’s digital transformation is the fully connected digital twin, which consists of three levels: On the first level, 3D representations of the entire plant are generated. The second level comprises a large data layer, continuously updated with all relevant information from the SpOTTO robotic dog, the plant’s manufacturing equipment and its IT systems. On the third level – the application level – dedicated programmes organise the collected data into comprehensible units. Using special apps, experts at Plant Hams Hall can leverage this information for tasks such as production planning and quality assurance.

A history of continuous growth

Over the past 25 years, BMW Group Plant Hams Hall has continuously evolved, establishing itself as a key pillar of the company’s production network. Relying on state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies, it provides drive trains for numerous BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce models.

Selected historic milestones:

• 2001: Plant Hams Hall launches series production with new four-cylinder engines, using innovative Valvetronic technology in large-scale manufacturing for the first time.
• 2006: An additional engine family is introduced; Plant Hams Hall produces engines for the MINI brand for the first time.
• 2013: Plant Hams Hall becomes the exclusive manufacturer of the award-winning three-cylinder engine for the iconic BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. The plant also integrates additional production lines for three- and four-cylinder petrol engines. At the same time, the processing hall for crankshafts, crankcases and cylinder heads is expanded.
• 2022: The plant takes over production of V8 and V12 engines. With this step the plant generates even greater business value for the company.
• 2026: Plant Hams Hall celebrates 25 years of production.

The BMW Group’s drive train production network

The BMW Group’s engine production network comprises several plants alongside Hams Hall: Its largest engine facility is in Steyr, Austria, where diesel and petrol engines, as well as sixth-generation electric motors, are developed and produced. The fifth generation of electric motors is produced in Dingolfing. Plant Munich handles mechanical production of V8 and V12 engine components, while Plant Landshut manufactures special engines. The Chinese joint venture BMW Brilliance builds engines for the local market in Shenyang. Collectively, these locations support the BMW Group's technology-open powertrain strategy.

Munich. A clear strategy, fascinating products and competent leadership are decisive factors for the attractiveness of employers today. Especially in times of global and economic uncertainty, the BMW Group proves to be a reliable partner for its employees. Numerous recent studies confirm this and have once again recognised the BMW Group as one of the most attractive employers in 2025.

14 years at the top: BMW Group once again the most popular employer

In the Trendence Professionals Barometer 2025, the BMW Group achieved first place for the 14th time in a row. This study is one of the leading surveys on employer attractiveness and is based on a survey of around 18,000 academics in Germany. The BMW Group also once again achieved top positions in other renowned rankings such as Universum's "Most Attractive Employers in Europe" and the international Forbes ranking "World's Best Employers".

Responsibility, strategy and courage

"You don't become the best employer by yourself. For us, it's about more than awards: We are facing one of the biggest changes in our industry - electromobility, digitalisation and artificial intelligence. Anyone who chooses the BMW Group relies on responsible behaviour, a clear strategy and the courage to try something new. This is exactly what makes us strong. We are looking for people who not only want to manage, but also to shape - people who are ready to make the future of individual mobility electric, digital and circular with us," emphasises Ilka Horstmeier, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Human Resources and Real Estate, Labour Director.

Attractive prospects and benefits

The BMW Group offers its employees not only premium products, but also exciting fields of work in future topics such as artificial intelligence, electromobility and digitalisation. This is complemented by above-average remuneration, extensive additional benefits, mobility and health offers as well as a wide range of opportunities for personal and professional development.

Top international positions

The BMW Group is also one of the top employers internationally. In the current ranking of the "Most Attractive Employers in Europe 2025" by study provider Universum, in which over 64,000 students from six major European economic nations took part, the BMW Group ranks seventh worldwide among prospective engineers. Among students in the fields of IT and business, the company ranks among the top 18 employers worldwide. In addition, the BMW Group was honoured with fifth place in the global Forbes survey "World's Best Employers 2025", which is based on the responses of 300,000 professionals from 50 countries. This makes the BMW Group not only the best automotive player in this international ranking, but also the best-placed German and European company.

Outstanding results in other national studies

The BMW Group also achieved outstanding results in other national studies:

• In the Trendence Graduate Barometer 2025, the company maintains the top position in engineering and secures a strong third place among business graduates.
• In terms of IT skills, the BMW Group remains the highest-ranking automotive company and ranks sixth overall - just behind the major US tech players.
• In the Trendence Student Barometer, the BMW Group improves from third to second place and is once again rated as the most popular automotive employer.
• Among the highly sought-after specialists, the BMW Group defends its top position in the Trendence Skilled Labour Barometer 2025, which is based on a survey of 21,000 employees in Germany.

Internal satisfaction confirms external perception

The external perception is in line with the results of the internal employee survey: 92 per cent of BMW Group employees are proud to be part of the company and 87 per cent would recommend the BMW Group as an employer.

These top figures once again confirm the results of the employee surveys of previous years and also emphasise the attractiveness of the BMW Group as an employer.

Talents welcome

Young talents and experienced professionals in future competences such as artificial intelligence, software development and data science will find exciting challenges at the BMW Group and can apply at any time. Interested talents can find out what working at the BMW Group is like and what entry opportunities and vacancies are available on the BMW Group careers pages as well as on the BMW Group Careers social media channels:

BMWho?

What's Next

Artificial Intelligence at the BMW Group

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Dr Hans-Peter Ketterl

Spokesman Human Resources and Member of the Board of Management Human Resources and Real Estate

Tel: +49-89-382-23923

Mail: Hans-Peter.Ketterl@bmwgroup.com

Bernd Eckstein

Head of Communications for HR, Real Estate, Culture, Corporate Citizenship

Phone: +49-89-382-59490

Email: Bernd.Eckstein@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold over 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2024 was € 11.0 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.4 billion. As of 31 December 2024, the BMW Group had a workforce of 159,104 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

Richmond Hill, ON. Birgit Boehm, president and CEO of BMW Group Financial Services for the Americas Region, is pleased to welcome Tobias Eismann as president and CEO of BMW Group Financial Services Canada. 

Eismann joins the Canadian market with more than 24 years of international experience with the BMW Group.  His career has led him to several markets and different divisions within the organization, including the BMW Group, BMW Group Financial Services and the BMW Bank.  He began his career with BMW in Germany in 2001 and has since held leadership positions in various areas including Sales, Customer Experience, Digital Services, Used Car and Financial Services. 

In 2016, Eismann was named CEO of BMW Financial Services Malaysia/Singapore.  Prior to that, he spent eight years in various operational and strategic leadership positions managing the BMW Group Pre-Owned business.  In 2021, he became CEO of BMW Group Financial Services Spain, a position he held until moving to the Canadian market.  Eismann began at BMW Group Financial Services Canada at the beginning of April, 2025.

“We are excited to welcome Tobias to lead the BMW Group’s Financial Services business in Canada,” said Boehm.  “With his extensive and international experience, we are confident that he will have the right focus on further enhancing our premium customer experience and driving continued growth and innovation in this key market for us.”

-30-

BMW Group in Canada.

BMW Group Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI.  BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs and protection products on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 51 BMW automobile retail centres, 26 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 31 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

For more information, please contact:

Marc Belcourt, Director, Corporate Communications
BMW Group Canada
905-428-5078 / marc.belcourt@bmwgroup.ca

Barb Pitblado, Manager, Corporate Communications
BMW Group Canada
905-428-5005 / barb.pitblado@bmwgroup.ca 

Munich/Landshut. The BMW Group is presenting its next leap forward in the field of electric drive technology – and in the process ushering in a new era of all-electric driving. At the Tech Days event in Landshut, the company has provided some initial insights into the development and production of high-voltage batteries and electric drive systems using the sixth generation of BMW eDrive technology. Every fully electric Neue Klasse vehicle will enjoy the benefits. The first Neue Klasse model will go into series production later this year at Plant Debrecen in Hungary. Below is an overview of the technology highlights:

• The Energy Master intelligent central control unit on the high-voltage battery – developed by the BMW Group and produced at Plant Landshut.
• A new high-voltage battery concept that, together with the BMW cylindrical cell, promises to bring about a technological quantum leap – including significant improvements in energy density, charging speed and range.
• The BMW Group also demonstrates its technology-openness with electric drive systems – through the use of different electric motor types: SSM and ASM.
• A modular approach to electric motor production gives the BMW Group an exceptional degree of flexibility.
• The BMW Group pools together expertise from the entire electric mobility value chain in Bavaria and Austria – from development, via purchasing and production, to recycling.
• The BMW Group demonstrates both technology-openness and full expertise across all areas of electric mobility.

Adopting a technology-open approach while setting the pace in electric mobility

“For the BMW Group, electric mobility is the future and a key area of growth. We are leading the way with this drivetrain technology. At the same time, we are deliberately taking a technology-open approach, recognizing that mobility needs vary between different regions of the world,” explains Dr Joachim Post, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Purchasing and Supplier Network. “We want to offer our customers the best drive concept for every need. It is possible to do both: offer the best drive technology for every need and be at the forefront of electric mobility.”

Slimmer, faster, further: the high-voltage batteries for Gen6

With the new sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology (Gen6 for short), the BMW Group is making a technological quantum leap. Improvements on the product side include a 30% faster charging speed and 30% increase in range, with certain models achieving even higher figures. Added to which, the Gen6 high-voltage battery concept benefits from the new 800V technology. Gen6 will make its debut this year in the Neue Klasse and subsequently be used to drive models across the BMW Group’s fully electric product range. The concept for the Gen6 high-voltage batteries is fundamentally new and will find applications in all vehicle segments – right up to the high-performance models from BMW M GmbH. Its new, even slimmer design allows the high-voltage battery to be integrated into a spread of different models, regardless of vehicle height. The high-voltage battery takes on the role of a structural component in the bodies of the Neue Klasse models (“pack-to-open-body”), and the new cylindrical cells will be integrated directly into the high-voltage battery (“cell-to-pack”). The new BMW cylindrical cell has a 20% greater energy density than its predecessor, the Gen5 prismatic battery cell. And charging in both directions will be possible: the BMW Group has confirmed bidirectional charging as standard for Gen6.

Highly intelligent central control unit: the BMW Energy Master

All of the elements that enable this technological leap forward come together in the BMW Energy Master. This central control unit is positioned on the high-voltage battery and provides the interface for high- and low-voltage power supply and for data from the high-voltage battery. It also controls the power supply for the electric motor and vehicle electrical system and ensures the safe and intelligent operation of the high-voltage battery. The BMW Group has filed a whole series of new patent applications for the vehicle electrical system, including its electronic fuses. Both the hardware and software of the Energy Master were developed fully in-house at the BMW Group. This ensures technological developments and updates for vehicles can be implemented independently and in real time via Remote Software Upgrades, providing a particular benefit for customers.

“Local for local” approach for high-voltage battery assembly and supplier network

The high-voltage batteries for the Neue Klasse are assembled in five new production facilities that the BMW Group has located close to its vehicle plants as part of a “local for local” approach. For example, cutting-edge assembly locations for Gen6 high-voltage batteries are taking shape in Irlbach-Straßkirchen (Lower Bavaria), Debrecen (Hungary), Shenyang (China), San Luis Potosí (Mexico) and Woodruff, near Spartanburg (USA). This approach safeguards production even in the event of unforeseen political and economic events. In addition, the existing locations are being strengthened, with jobs both secured and created. The “local for local” principle continues in the supplier network for battery cells: in order to cover the demand for Gen6, the BMW Group has reached contractual agreements for five battery cell factories – spread across Europe, China and the USA – with various partners.

“Cell-to-pack” and “pack-to-open-body”

Production of the Gen6 high-voltage batteries follows the “cell-to-pack” and “pack-to-open-body” principles. “Cell-to-pack” involves positioning the cylindrical cells – manufactured by the suppliers according to BMW Group specifications – directly in the housing of the high-voltage battery, without the intermediate step of a module being produced. “Pack-to-open-body” refers to the high-voltage battery’s new role as a structural component in the vehicle architecture. Numerous innovations patented by the BMW Group can be found here.

Know-how from Bavaria and Austria – in demand around the world

Before series production of the high-voltage batteries gets underway worldwide, the production processes will be developed and pre-series batteries subjected to thorough testing. This will happen at the BMW Group pilot plants for high-voltage batteries in Parsdorf, Hallbergmoos and Munich. The new series production plants around the world will then be ready. The product and process expertise is centred in Bavaria. Production of the Energy Master will take place at Plant Landshut, which will then supply all the high-voltage battery assembly plants around the world. There, the highly intelligent control unit will be installed on the high-voltage battery. The electric motor with sixth-generation BMW eDrive technology is produced at Plant Steyr in Austria, which is also home to a development centre for electric drive systems and thermal management.

Production of the Energy Master at BMW Group Plant Landshut

A state-of-the-art production system for the BMW Energy Master is taking shape at Plant Landshut. The plant is currently producing the highly complex control unit in pre-series. Series production on the first production line will begin in August 2025, with a further expansion stage to follow in mid-2026. This is the first time the development and production of this central control unit has taken place in-house at the BMW Group. “As the company’s largest in-house component manufacturer, Landshut plays an important role for the Neue Klasse,” says Dr Joachim Post. “The plant is an innovation hub and a driver of transformation.” Around 200 people will be employed in the Energy Master production area at Landshut when production begins, rising to as many as 700 people as it ramps up further. The BMW Group has channelled investment in the high hundreds of millions of euros into the expansion of electric mobility at Plant Landshut since 2020, strengthening both the production facility itself and Germany’s status as an industrial powerhouse for the long term. The modular manufacturing system used to produce the Energy Master was also designed fully in-house by the BMW Group. It is supplied with subcomponents by a supply chain set up by the BMW Group. This extends to the n-tier supply chain for supply-critical components such as semiconductors. The benefits of this set-up can be seen in terms of both costs and supply security. The scalable production system enables the company to respond quickly and flexibly to market requirements. The high degree of automation, involving up to 400 robots in the final expansion stage, maximises efficiency. Comprehensive in-process monitoring, which includes the use of AI-based camera systems, and 100-per-cent end-of-line system checks in a clean-room environment ensure optimum quality.

Different recycling processes within the value chain

As electric mobility ramps up, there is an increasing focus on recycling of high-voltage batteries at the end of their lifecycle. Under a long-term partnership with SK tes – a leading provider of innovative technology lifecycle solutions – cobalt, nickel and lithium from end-of-life batteries are recovered from the BMW Group and integrated into the supply chain for the manufacture of new batteries. This closed-loop approach increases the efficiency and resilience of the BMW Group as part of a circular economy. The BMW Group will follow a similar path in the USA, Mexico and Canada up to 2026 with a separate partnership.

Innovative direct recycling at the BMW Group

The BMW Group is also exploring other recycling options in the value creation process. One example of this is the direct recycling method developed in-house. The BMW Group is working with its joint venture Encory to set up a competence centre for battery cell recycling in Lower Bavaria, where the company will put its direct recycling ideas into practice. This innovative process will enable residual materials from battery cell production and whole battery cells to be mechanically broken down into their valuable constituent components. The raw materials obtained in this way will be re-used directly in the pilot production process for battery cells at the company’s competence centres.

Technology-open approach for electric mobility: the new e-drive system of Gen6

The BMW Group has retained the principle of an electrically excited synchronous motor (EESM) for its Gen6 power unit. On this type of synchronous motor, the magnetic field in the rotor is generated by windings fed with direct current rather than permanent magnets. In this way, the strength of the rotor’s magnetic field can be optimally adjusted to the prevailing load conditions. This results in both excellent levels of efficiency at customer-relevant operating points and constant power output at high rotational speeds. As with the Gen5 version, the synchronous motor will be positioned above the rear axle and feature a compact housing incorporating the electric drive unit, power electronics and transmission. Many of the motor’s technical details were created with the help of patented expertise, with the non-potted rotor alone accounting for more than ten patent applications.

Neue Klasse additionally incorporates ASM technology

The Gen6 powertrain employs a second, additional electric motor technology in the form of the asynchronous motor (ASM). Here, instead of being generated by permanent magnets (PSM) or electrical excitation (EESM), the rotor’s magnetic field is induced by the stator. On this type of motor, the rotor takes the form of a metal cage. The asynchronous motor offers the advantage of a more compact design and superior cost efficiency. The ASM motor variants will be fitted at the front axle of Neue Klasse cars with BMW xDrive.

Extensive improvements to EESM technology

Besides the addition of ASM technology, the EESM technology has also undergone a major upgrade for Gen6: rotor, stator and inverter have all been fully designed for the new 800V architecture of the Gen6 tech in order to maximise drive system performance and efficiency. This has been further helped by a complete redesign of the oil and water cooling systems. In addition to this, the experts from the BMW Group have also succeeded in improving the electric motor and central housing in terms of their weight and rigidity too. The transmission still uses a two-stage helical design, but has been further optimised by enhancements to its geometry and cooling, lower friction levels and more pleasant acoustics. The electrically excited synchronous motor’s “brain”, the inverter, now features 800V technology along with silicon carbide (SiC) semiconductors to boost efficiency. The inverter is completely integrated into the electric motor’s housing. Its task is to convert the DC power supply from the high-voltage battery to AC for use in the electric motor. The inverter was developed in-house by the BMW Group and is produced at Plant Steyr in Austria.

Lower weight, costs and energy losses – greater efficiency in the vehicle

The results obtained from intelligently incorporating new technologies into the electric powertrain while consistently enhancing existing systems make impressive reading. When compared to a Gen5 xDrive model, a future Neue Klasse model complete with EESM and ASM technology boasts the following improvements: energy losses have been reduced by 40%, costs by 20% and weight by 10%. By combining different types of electric motor, the BMW Group’s technology-open approach is therefore clearly in evidence within the field of electric mobility. In future, customers will be able to choose from models equipped with one, two, three or four electric motors to suit their individual preferences and requirements. The sixth generation BMW eDrive technology is a significant factor in the gain in overall vehicle efficiency of around 20 per cent for the Neue Klasse. This figure is based on a comparison with the current generation of all-electric vehicles from the BMW Group.

Modular concept provides crucial advantage for manufacturing electric motors

The manufacturing concept for the Gen6 electric drive system uses the principle of modular building blocks. This forms the basis for highly flexible manufacturing of various electric drive variants across the entire Neue Klasse model range. The modular "building block” concept leads to positive economies of scale and cost savings in development and production. It also has the effect of improving the scalability of production volumes. The modular approach ensures a high degree of flexibility in production, the supply networks and procurement.

The Gen6 electric drive systems: made in Steyr

Series production of the Gen6 electric drive systems will commence at BMW Group Plant Steyr in summer 2025. Pre-production already got underway at the Austrian facility in September 2024. The pre-production motors are undergoing rigorous testing and some are already being fitted in Neue Klasse test vehicles from Plant Debrecen. By 2030, the BMW Group will have invested over one billion euros at the site since the project’s launch in 2022 to expand its development and production expertise for electric drive systems. Thanks to the increase in capacity, the plant will retain its status as the BMW Group’s leading facility for drive systems. The plant has been developing and building combustion engines for the BMW and MINI brands for over 40 years. Plant Steyr’s many years of experience and high level of expertise in the field of drive systems make it the ideal site for manufacturing the Gen6 electric motors. It has an annual production capacity of 600,000 electric drive units. Diesel and petrol engines continue to be manufactured there alongside the electric motors. By 2030, around half of the on-site employees should be working in electric mobility – a vital step for safeguarding the more than 4,700 jobs at the plant in the long term. In future, all key components of the innovative, highly integrated electric drive unit – i.e. the rotor, stator, transmission, inverter and housing – will be produced at Steyr. This will include manufacturing the inverters in an in-house clean room environment for the first time, thereby taking the engine plant into the realm of electrical engineering. The electric drive components will be built on two new assembly lines at Steyr.

Thermal management: complex interaction, crucial for performance
Thermal management involves highly complex interaction between various systems in an electric vehicle and is of critical importance for a host of performance parameters, including range, real-world consumption, acceleration and charging time. Thermal management is a question of constantly keeping the temperature of the electric motor, power electronics and high-voltage battery in the optimum range, while maintaining standards of passenger comfort at the same time. Efficient thermal management is important for fast charging too. Here, the battery temperature must be kept within a defined window in order to make optimum use of the available charging capacity. Unlike combustion engines, electric motors give off little heat. This means that, depending on the operating state, the battery and the passenger cell have to be not only cooled, but heated too. The Steyr site develops the thermal management systems for all electric vehicles from the BMW Group. The plant’s development centre is also responsible for the brain at the heart of the electric motor – the inverter.

BMW Group Plant Landshut – a multi-talented component manufacturer

BMW Group Plant Landshut is the BMW Group’s largest component plant anywhere in the world, supplying components to all the company’s vehicle and drive system plants. Its workforce of around 3,700 employees produces a broad spectrum of cutting-edge components for vehicles from the BMW Group. Working closely with the BMW Group’s Research and Innovation Centre (FIZ) in Munich, Plant Landshut plays a pivotal role as a hub of innovation for the automotive industry. It develops pioneering technologies and manufacturing processes that serve to maintain the company’s competitive edge. Over the course of the Neue Klasse project, the site is investing some €200 million in its light metal foundry to increase annual production capacity for the electric motor housings. The Injector Casting (ICA) process developed and patented in Landshut is a prime example of the plant’s innovative strength. This globally unique process is used to manufacture the electric motors’ highly complex aluminium housings that set new standards for lightweight design and functional integration.

In the event of enquiries please contact:

Corporate Communications

Christian Marxt

Spokesperson Production Network, Powertrain and High-voltage Batteries

Mobile: +49-151-601-79158

E-mail: Christian.Marxt@bmwgroup.com

Carolin Seidel

Spokesperson BMW Group Plant Landshut

Mobile: +49-151-601-90340

E-mail: Carolin.Seidel@bmwgroup.com

Florian Moser

Team Lead Purchasing and Supplier Network, Spokesperson Dr Joachim Post

Mobile: +49-151-601-62847

E-mail: Florian.Moser@bmwgroup.com

Bernhard Ederer

Spokesperson Drive Technology, Battery, Charging, Efficient Dynamics

Mobile: +49-176-601-28556

E-mail: Bernhard.Ederer@bmwgroup.com

Diana Schaidnagel

Spokesperson Sustainability

Mobile: +49-151-601-38407

E-mail: Diana.Schaidnagel@bmw.de

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2024, the BMW Group sold 2.45 million passenger vehicles and more than 210,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The economic success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. Sustainability is a key element of the BMW Group’s corporate strategy and covers all products from the supply chain and production to the end of their useful life.

Munich. At its meeting today, the Supervisory Board of BMW AG set the course for a continuity of succession at the head of its board. To this end, the Supervisory Board will put forward Dr. Nicolas Peter for election to the Supervisory Board of BMW AG at the 2025 Annual General Meeting. The Supervisory Board also expressed its support for the proposal that Peter — subject to his election to the Supervisory Board — be elected as Chairman of the Supervisory Board after the 2025 Annual General Meeting.

The mandate of the current Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Dr.-Ing. Norbert Reithofer, as a member of the Supervisory Board will finish as planned at the end of the 2025 Annual General Meeting. He will not run for re-election after two terms of office. This also observes the standard age limit set by the Supervisory Board itself.

Nicolas Peter has extensive international experience in the automotive industry. He was Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, responsible for Finance, from January 2017 to May 2023, and has also held various management positions in Finance and Sales at the BMW Group, including positions in several European markets. As former Chairman of the Board of Directors of BMW Brilliance Automotive, he also has extensive experience in the Chinese market. Nicolas Peter holds a doctorate in law and has both German and French citizenship.

After May 11, 2023, Nicolas Peter did not hold a position within BMW AG and will therefore have completed a two-year cooling-off period in May 2025, in accordance with the German Corporate Governance Code.

Nicolas Peter is currently a member of two supervisory bodies outside the BMW Group: He is a member of the Supervisory Board of KION GROUP AG, where he chairs the audit committee. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of the listed company FORVIA SE (France) and a member of the Government Commission on the German Corporate Governance Code.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Max-Morten Borgmann, Communications BMW Group, Finance, Sales

Telephone: +49 89 382-24118

Email: max-morten.borgmann@bmwgroup.com

Eckhard Wannieck, head of Communications BMW Group, Finance, Sales

Telephone: +49 89 382-24544

Email: eckhard.wannieck@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/bmwgroup

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bmwgroup

X: https://www.x.com/bmwgroup

Munich. The BMW Group is completely reorganising its Design division under the leadership of Adrian van Hooydonk. Like the NEUE KLASSE, which represents the redefinition of the BMW brand with its “electric, digital, circular” philosophy, a new cross-brand design team will be launched on 1 October 2024 to meet changing demands for future-oriented vehicle design.

The new organisation, focused on the transformation of the company, will remain the industry benchmark. For example, Colour and Material Design will be consolidated across all brands, while the BMW brand team will be divided into two studios and the future topic of “Advanced Design” strengthened.

“Technology and customer preferences are currently changing faster than ever,” says van Hooydonk. “Automotive design has become more diverse. Designing digital experiences and sound also plays an increasingly important role, along with sustainable and recycled materials. The design showcases all the innovative potential of our products and brands,” van Hooydonk continues. “That’s why, more than ever, every single detail matters, as well as the holistic and harmonious integration of the various elements.”

Van Hooydonk is bringing Maximilian Missoni into the BMW Group Design team to oversee the design of upper mid-size and luxury class BMW models, as well as BMW Alpina. After holding various managerial positions at Volkswagen and Volvo Cars, Missoni was most recently Head of Design at Polestar.

Oliver Heilmer, previously Head of MINI Design, will be responsible for the design of all compact and mid-size BMW models going forward, as well as BMW M.

Claudia Braun will head the newly created cross-brand department for Colour and Material Design for BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. She has already been managing colour and materials for the BMW brand since April 2024, bringing experience from Porsche AG, Daimler AG and Volvo Cars.

Domagoj Dukec, formerly Head of the BMW Design Studio, will now assume responsibility for Rolls-Royce Design, including Bespoke and Coachbuild.

Anders Warming, previously Head of Design Rolls-Royce, will oversee all Advanced Design topics, as well as the BMW Group Designworks subsidiary.

Holger Hampf, Head of BMW Group Designworks, will now be in charge of design for the MINI brand.

Christian Bauer will continue to lead the digital customer experience into a new era across all brands.

Adrian van Hooydonk: “I am delighted to continue driving the design and further development of our vehicles and brands forward, together with a first-class team of highly qualified design professionals.”

Munich. The BMW Group has announced a change in personnel at the helm of the MINI brand. Effective 1 August 2024, Stefan Richmann will take over management of MINI from Stefanie Wurst, who has held this position since 1 February 2022. 

In recent years, Stefanie Wurst has strategically successfully focused the British premium brand MINI on new markets and target groups, and in particular on electric mobility and digitalization. She has also developed the international MINI sales organisation into a sustainable and customer-focused sales model and has played a decisive role in the phased introduction of MINI direct sales in China and Europe.

Wurst built on the MINI brand’s strong heritage, while at the same time realigning it for the future. With the rollout of the New MINI Family, the brand is currently at a high point in its 65-year history. Three models with strong characters, the MINI Cooper*, MINI Aceman* and MINI Countryman*, embody the digitalisation of products and services, electrification of the brand and MINI’s signature go-kart feeling.

Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales: “We would like to thank Stefanie Wurst for her great personal commitment and her valuable contribution to MINI's future direction. With Stefan Richmann, a senior executive of the BMW Group with many years of experience in Germany and abroad, will take over the management of the MINI brand from August.”

Richmann began his career at the BMW Group in 1997. Since then, he has held numerous managerial positions within the company. In 2000, he moved to Corporate Strategic Planning and, in 2004, was appointed head of Sales Controlling. From 2008, Richmann was responsible for the finances of BMW Spain as CFO. He returned to Munich at the end of 2010, where he fulfilled several further management roles in the Finance and Controlling division and Product Management at BMW Group headquarters. From 2017, Richmann served as CFO in the US. In April 2022, he took over as head of the Corporate Strategy division. 

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Andreas Lampka, head of MINI Communications

Telephone: +49 89 382-23662

Email: andreas.lampka@MINI.com

Eckhard Wannieck, head of Communications BMW Group, Finance, Sales

Telephone: +49 89 382-24544

Email: eckhard.wannieck@bmwgroup.com

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2023, the BMW Group sold over 2.55 million passenger vehicles and more than 209,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2023 was € 17.1 billion on revenues amounting to € 155.5 billion. As of 31 December 2023, the BMW Group had a workforce of 154,950 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products. 

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

Munich. BMW AG Corporate and Governmental Affairs is reorganizing its management team at departmental level with effect from November 1, 2023.

The changes will affect the following functions specifically:

Alexandra Landers will take over as head of the “Product Communications BMW Automotive” department, where she will primarily be responsible for product, lifestyle and brand communications for the core BMW brand.

After holding several different positions as an HR manager, in Inhouse Consulting and as Regional Head of Communications in Europe, Landers has most recently worked as head of “PR Events”.

Nicole Geisel will take on the role of head of the “Corporate Communications Purchasing, Supplier Network and Sustainability” department.

After working in a range of positions in financial and IT communications and supporting the Supervisory Board of BMW AG, she most recently headed up the BMW Group’s Communications Strategy as well as Planning and Steering and Market Steering for Europe and China, along with the unit’s Business IT.

Markus Sagemann will take responsibility for the “PR Events” department.

In recent years, Sagemann has held numerous management positions in external and internal communications for the BMW Group. Most recently, he headed up the “Corporate Communications Purchasing, Supplier Network and Sustainability” department.

Ingo Wirth will take over the management of the “Strategy, Steering” department.

After heading up several roles in marketing communications and board management for the Board of Management, Wirth has in recent years been in charge of product communications for the MINI and BMW Motorrad brands and most recently also for the core BMW brand.

If you have any questions, please contact:

BMW Group Corporate Communications

Dr. Hans-Peter Ketterl

Spokesperson HR and
Member of the Board of Management BMW AG, People and Real Estate

Tel: +49-89-382-23923

Mail: Hans-Peter.Ketterl@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group had a workforce of 149,475 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

Richmond Hill, ON. Please be advised of the following changes within the senior management team at BMW Group Canada. 

Sebastian Mackensen, President and CEO of BMW of North America and Head of Region Americas, announced that David George, President and CEO of BMW Group Canada, will become President and CEO, BMW Group UK and Ireland effective January, 2024.  In his current role at BMW Group Canada, David has lead the Canadian operations towards a more digital, electric and sustainable future.  Under his leadership, the organization has experienced industry-leading growth in electrification and customer satisfaction, and in adoption of digital assets such as the MyBMW App.  But perhaps most importantly, he has strengthened and nurtured relationships with the Group’s valued retail partners nationwide.

“I want to thank and congratulate David on all of his achievements during his term as President and CEO of BMW Group Canada,” commented Sebastian Mackensen. “Successfully managing the business through challenging market conditions while at the same time promoting the achievements of our retail partners has created a transparent and trusted relationship, benefiting both our customers and stakeholders.” 

“While David’s move back to the UK comes much earlier than anticipated, I am happy to announce that Andrew Scott, currently Director, National Sales and Network Development, will succeed David George,” continued Mackensen. “Andrew’s various positions in sales and marketing with the Group across Canada give him the knowledge and experience to steer the business into an electrified future and to continue developing the positive relationship with the national retail network.”

“This is a wonderful new opportunity for Andrew,” concluded Mackensen.  “I’m excited to promote an individual from within Team Canada into this important position, and I look forward to working with Andrew even more closely in his new role.”

-30-

BMW Group in Canada

BMW Group Canada, based in Richmond Hill, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI.  BMW Group Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail financing and leasing programs and protection products on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles, as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total network of 50 BMW automobile retail centres, 24 BMW motorcycle retailers, and 31 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

For more information, please contact:

Marc Belcourt, Director, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

905-428-5078 / marc.belcourt@bmwgroup.ca                                             

Barb Pitblado, Manager, Corporate Communications

BMW Group Canada

905-428-5005 / barb.pitblado@bmwgroup.ca

Munich: Markus Flasch will take over the position as Head of BMW Motorrad on 1 November 2023. In his current role as product line manager, Flasch is responsible for the development and conception of all BMW vehicles in the middle and luxury classes as well as the Rolls-Royce brand. The passionate motorcyclist has worked for the BMW Group since 2015 and was previously Head of BMW M GmbH, among others. Under his leadership, BMW M GmbH rose to become the world's leading supplier of performance and high-performance cars as well as the fusion of BMW M GmbH with BMW Motorsport. He succeeds Markus Schramm, who started his successful career with the BMW Group in 1991. After numerous management positions in sales, aftersales, controlling, group planning and product strategy, the passionate motorcyclist Schramm took over the position as Head of BMW Motorrad in May 2018 and, after several record results, led the brand to number 1 in the global premium motorcycle market for the first time. Following the record 2022 result with 202,895 motorcycles and scooters handed over to customers, BMW Motorrad is targeting another record result in its 100th anniversary year.

As a highlight of the brand's anniversary celebrations, the Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Oliver Zipse, and the Head of BMW Motorrad, Dr. Markus Schramm, in the presence of the Federal Chancellor of the Federal Republic of Germany, Olaf Scholz and Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner, opened the new BMW Motorrad Welt in Berlin on 28 September 2023. The highlight of the opening ceremony was the world premiere of the new BMW R 1300 GS, which continues the success story of the GS models.

Under the leadership of Markus Schramm, BMW Motorrad experienced the most successful years in the company's history. Today, the brand is at the forefront of the global premium motorcycle market. The introduction of the M brand at BMW Motorrad with the uncompromising performance models M 1000 RR, M 1000 R and M 1000 XR, the entry into the world's largest motorcycle segment of cruisers with the R 18 family, an unparalleled model and innovation campaign with new products that shape their respective segments, and the expansion of the BMW Motorrad brand into a highly emotional experience brand are exemplary guarantees of BMW Motorrad’ s success story under the leadership of Markus Schramm. Schramm and his team also set the strategic course for the transformation of BMW Motorrad towards sustainable individual mobility. With the all-electric CE 04, BMW Motorrad impressively dominates the two-wheeled electric mobility segment over 11 kW worldwide with around 70%. With CE 02, the next all-electric premium offering from BMW Motorrad for emission-free urban mobility will follow in spring 2024. From 2026, more BMW Motorrad segments will be electrified.

Dr. Markus Schramm: “For me personally, as a passionate motorcyclist, the management of BMW Motorrad marked the emotional highlight of my career with the BMW Group. Leading the brand to this historic success with my highly motivated, passionate and professional team at BMW Motorrad and to have set the course for a successful future for BMW Motorrad makes me simply proud. It was a great time with a great team. I am now delighted that with Markus Flasch, an experienced colleague and motorcycle enthusiast will succeed me as Head of BMW Motorrad. With his extensive brand, product and sales expertise, he will provide important impulses to further expand BMW Motorrad’ s leading position in our industry and continue our success story.”

“As a passionate motorcyclist, I am delighted to build on BMW Motorrad’ s great successes so far and, together with the highly motivated BMW Motorrad team, to do everything I can to lead our fascinating brand into a successful future,” says Markus Flasch, commenting on his new task.

You will find press material on BMW motorcycles and BMW Motorrad rider equipment in the BMW Group PressClub at https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en.

In case of queries, please contact:

Tim Diehl-Thiele, Head of Communications BMW Motorrad

Tel: +49-151-601-57505, Tim.Diehl-Thiele@bmw.de


Jens Lemon, Head of Communications MINI und BMW Motorrad

Telefon: +49-151-601-23635, Jens.Lemon@bmw.de

Internet: www.press.bmw.de

E-mail: presse@bmw.de

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group had a workforce of 149,475 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

Munich. Effective 1 September 2023, Isabel Richter became the Head of Sustainability Communications at the BMW Group, with responsibility for development, coordination and implementation of communications messaging on the subject of sustainability. Isabel Richter is assigned to the main department of Alexander Bilgeri, Vice President Communications Human Resources, Production, Purchasing and Sustainability. Richter comes from Microsoft Germany, where she was responsible for economic and corporate strategy topics, such as digital transformation and AI, cybersecurity, corporate citizenship and sustainability, as Corporate Communications Lead. She also headed communications at the Berlin location, where she shaped digital policy dialogue with the press, policymakers as well as society and established digital public affairs.

Prior to working for Microsoft, Richter was Head of the Environment and Sustainability division at the digital association BITKOM in Berlin. Richter began her career in corporate communications at IBM in London, before working for communications agency Waggener Edstrom in London, Seattle and Munich for several years. Ms. Richter earned a degree in Communication and Media Studies from Leipzig University.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Diana Schaidnagel, Press Spokesperson Sustainability BMW Group
Telephone: +49-151-601-38407
Email: Diana.Schaidnagel@bmw.de

Isabel Richter, Head of Sustainability Communications BMW Group
Telephone: +49-151-601-53189
Email: Isabel.Richter@bmw.de

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

Email: presse@bmwgroup.com

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises over 30 production sites worldwide; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries. In 2022, the BMW Group sold nearly 2.4 million passenger vehicles and more than 202,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2022 was € 23.5 billion on revenues amounting to € 142.6 billion. As of 31 December 2022, the BMW Group had a workforce of 149,475 employees. The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

Munich. With the start of the anniversary year, the position of Vice President Customer, Brand, Sales at BMW M GmbH is being filled. Timo Resch will be responsible for the sales and marketing activities of the BMW Group subsidiary from 1 January 2022. Resch previously held the same function for BMW Motorrad, where continuous sales growth has been achieved under his leadership since 2017. At BMW M GmbH, which celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2022, he will succeed Thomas Felbermair, who has held this position since July 2019 and is leaving the company at the turn of the year at his own request.

"We would like to thank Thomas Felbermair for his great commitment to strengthening our sales division. During his tenure, BMW M GmbH has significantly expanded its product range and become the top-selling supplier in its competitive environment," said Franciscus van Meel, CEO of BMW M GmbH.

Timo Resch has been working for the BMW Group in both the automotive and motorcycle divisions since 2014. He was Head of Product Management for the BMW X5, BMW X6 and BMW X7 models as well as the BMW 7 Series and BMW 8 Series before joining BMW Motorrad in May 2017.

"I am very pleased that with Timo Resch we have been able to gain an experienced sales and marketing expert who already has an impressive track record of steadily increasing sales figures in his previous role at BMW Motorrad," says Franciscus van Meel. "In our anniversary year, we are facing new exciting challenges together, which will be marked in particular by new products and the development of performance and high-performance models with electrified drive systems."

Dr Markus Schramm, Senior Vice President BMW Motorrad: "I would like to thank Timo Resch for his extraordinary commitment, which has helped us in achieving numerous successes and records over the past four years together with our business partners and the entire BMW Motorrad team. Under his leadership, 2017, 2018 and 2019 each year ended as the most successful financial year in the brand's history. In addition, he manoeuvred the sales division through the difficult Corona times with very great success. In 2021, BMW Motorrad is also heading for another sales record."

Dr. Alexander W. Wehr will take over as Vice President Customer, Brand, Sales of BMW Motorrad on 1 January 2022. He started out at the BMW Group in 1997 as the Product Manager of the BMW Z8. This was followed by various management positions within the BMW Group, among others as the Head of Worldwide Volume Planning and Sales Steering of the automotive segment. Most recently, he was President & CEO of BMW Group Latin America, leading the BMW subsidiaries in Mexico, Brazil and Argentina, as well as 24 importers markets in the region.

“I thank Alexander for his remarkable commitment to Latin America which has been proven with the solid business regionalization process. It consisted of establishing a regional structure operated from Mexico which assured the strengthening of our business operation in these markets as well as the relationship with our dealers and importers network. Regionalization accounted for an essential foundation for building the remarkable leadership of the BMW Group in the region and the outstanding segment share development in the region”, says Sebastian Mackensen, Head of BMW Group Region Americas and President & CEO for BMW of North America.

Dr. Markus Schramm, Senior Vice President BMW Motorrad: "We are very pleased to have won Alexander Wehr, an experienced colleague and motorcycle enthusiast, for the position of Vice President Customer, Brand, Sales BMW Motorrad. With his extensive sales competence, he will provide important impetus on the way to achieving our goal of becoming the number one in the premium motorcycle segment worldwide."

BMW M GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of the BMW Group and has the status of an independent automobile manufacturer. The company is the world's most successful supplier of performance and high-performance automobiles. As the market leader in this exclusive segment, BMW M GmbH was able to close the past two financial years with record sales in each case. In the anniversary year 2022, numerous new BMW M automobiles in various vehicle segments are to be launched. The product offensive offers will inspire particularly performance-oriented fans and new target groups hallmark BMW M brand performance.

The fuel consumption, CO2 emissions, electric power consumption and electric range figures are determined according to the European Regulation (EC) 715/2007 in the version applicable. They refer to vehicles in the German market. Where a range is shown, NEDC figures consider the different sizes of the selected wheels/tyres, while WLTP figures take into account the impact of any optional extras.

All values were calculated based on the new WLTP test cycle. Any NEDC values that are shown have been translated into equivalent NEDC measurements where appropriate. WLTP values are taken as the basis for determining vehicle-related taxes or other duties based (at least inter alia) on CO2 emissions as well as eligibility for any applicable vehicle-specific subsidies. Further information on the WLTP and NEDC measurement procedures can also be found at www.bmw.de/wltp.

Further information on official fuel consumption figures and specific CO2 emission values of new passenger cars is included in the following guideline: 'Leitfaden über den Kraftstoffverbrauch, die CO2-Emissionen und den Stromverbrauch neuer Personenkraftwagen' (Guide to the fuel economy, CO2 emissions and electric power consumption of new passenger cars), which can be obtained free of charge from all dealerships, from Deutsche Automobil Treuhand GmbH (DAT), Hellmuth-Hirth-Str. 1, 73760 Ostfildern-Scharnhausen and at https://www.dat.de/co2/.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Corporate Communications
Martin Schleypen, Product Communications BMW M Automobile

Tel.: +49-89-382-37889

E-mail: Martin.Schleypen@bmwgroup.com

Dominik Schaidnagel, BMW Motorrad Communications

Tel.: +49-89-382-50181

E-mail: Dominik.Schaidnagel@bmwgroup.com

Ingo Wirth, Head of Product, Brand Communications BMW

Tel.: +49-89-382-25814

E-mail: Ingo.Wirth@bmwgroup.com

Jennifer Treiber-Ruckenbrod, Head of Communications MINI and BMW Motorrad

Tel.: +49-89-382-35108

E-mail: Jennifer-Ruckenbrod@bmwgroup.com

Internet: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en

E-Mail: presse@bmw.de  

The BMW Group
With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2020, the BMW Group sold over 2.3 million passenger vehicles and more than 169,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2020 was € 5.222 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.990 billion. As of 31 December 2020, the BMW Group had a workforce of 120,726 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company set the course for the future at an early stage and consistently makes sustainability and efficient resource management central to its strategic direction, from the supply chain through production to the end of the use phase of all products.

www.bmwgroup.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/BMWGroup

Twitter: http://twitter.com/BMWGroup

YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/BMWGroupView

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bmwgroup

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bmw-group/

Munich. Ursula Mathar will head the BMW Group’s Sustainability and Environmental Protection department, with immediate effect. In this function, she will report directly to Dr. Rainer Feurer, head of Corporate Strategy and Planning, Environment, and will be responsible for BMW Group sustainability strategy.

With a background in business administration and pharmacy, Mathar most recently managed the Sustainability and External Reporting department of Bayer AG’s central Environment and Sustainability division.

The BMW Group has a long tradition of sustainability and environmental protection. The company was the very first automobile manufacturer to appoint an environmental officer back in 1973. The BMW Group has been listed in the FTSE4Good, one of the most important indexes of sustainable companies, every year for the past ten years and was the highest-placed automobile manufacturer in the CDP Global 500 Ranking in 2011. The BMW Group has also been the most sustainable automobile manufacturer in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index for the past seven consecutive years.

Munich. After eight successful years as CEO of BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH Professor Raymond Freymann is handing over the reins of executive management to Dr. Christoph Grote on 1 November. Raymond Freymann is embarking on a well-earned retirement after 25 years with the company.

“During my time at BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH, I have experienced the most exciting and important moments in my professional career. During these eight years, we have developed a plethora of innovations and put them on the road. You can only do something like that with a large number of creative minds.” (Raymond Freymann)

His successor Dr. Christoph Grote has managed the development portfolio for strategy and innovations at the BMW Group.

“BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH provides us with a unique world-class centre of competence that enables us to develop innovative technologies for the individual mobility of the future. I am proud to be part of this innovative team and privileged to be able to play a proactive role in helping to create future technologies for our appealing products.”“ (Christoph Grote)

25 years of flair for innovations.

Raymond Freymann was born in Luxembourg in 1952. He decided to study mechanical engineering and majored in aero-engineering at Braunschweig Technical University. He obtained a doctorate in 1981 after carrying out research at the Institute for Aeroelastics at the German Centre for Aerospace in Göttingen. After a period of research at the Flight Dynamics Laboratory of the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton (Ohio), USA, Freymann turned to cars and joined BMW in 1986.

His first position involved heading the Department of Acoustics and Structural Dynamics. This was followed by the Central Department for Vehicle Physics covering the areas of acoustics, vibration comfort, aerodynamics and heat engineering, and subsequently the Central Department for Vehicle Research. In 2000, he completed his habilitation thesis in structural dynamics with the Chair of Applied Dynamics at Munich Technical University and he has held the post of honorary professor there since 2002. During his time at BMW, Freymann has completed 130 technical publications, given more than 300 lectures at conferences and other events, and registered 30 national and international patents.

From 2003 to 2011, Freymann headed BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH and was responsible for all research activities at the BMW Group.

A new start.

Dr. Christoph Grote, born in 1967, is a physicist. After completing his degree at Ruprecht Karl University Heidelberg he obtained a doctorate in theoretical physics at the University of Cambridge after carrying out research into stochastic theories of glass transition. He launched his professional career at BMW in 1997 as an advisor in in-house consulting for development. From 1999, he was responsible for a wide range of specialist areas: configuration management, light engineering, air-conditioning, physical onboard power supply, batteries, fuel cells and the cockpit. From 2004, he headed the highly innovative Central Department for Information and Communication Systems before he took over management of Strategy and Innovations in the development portfolio of the BMW Group in 2009.

“During my professional career, I have been able to gain a wide range of specialist and entrepreneurial experience. I have also been able to combine two very different areas of science – automotive and information technology – to develop innovative products. One of my future objectives in BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH will be to enable other innovative companies to make a contribution to premium mobility of the future.” (Christoph Grote) 

BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH – the Think Tank of the BMW Group.

The BMW Group owes its status as the world’s most successful manufacturer of premium automobiles to outstanding development expertise in all areas relevant to driving pleasure, sustainability and safety. The foundations for this success have been created at BMW Technik GmbH over the past quarter of a century. The researchers working in this think tank develop technologies and concepts for individual mobility of the future. The subsidiary company set up 25 years ago provides the BMW Group today with a unique and world-class centre of competence that secures and expands its technology leadership as a source of innovations.

Since 2003, the wholly owned subsidiary company of the BMW Grouphas been responsible for universal research activities carried out within a wide range of areas such as intelligent energy management and alternative drives, driver assistance systems and active safety, man-machine interface and IT architecture, and communication technology. The legal independence as a GmbH empowers creative scope and maximum flexibility. Global access to trends and technologies is ensured by a network of international contacts with the BMW Group Technology Office USA in Mountain View (California), the Liaison Office in Clemson (South Carolina, USA) and stakes in the Institute EURECOM (Sophia Antipolis, France) and the German Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI GmbH, Saarbrücken).

  An era comes to an end. The milestones in a researcher’s career.

BMW Group Research and Technology under the leadership of Raymond Freymann was defined by ambitious goals and visions in areas such as alternative drives and energies, and driver assistance with the objective of “Vision Zero”. Their success convinced sceptics in the company about the projects advanced by the researchers.

“I was always motivated by the vision of sustainable, individual mobility. After all, even if we have one billion cars on our planet, the earth should not be impacted by them. My personal highlight during my research time here was undoubtedly the round-the-world trip with the H2R in 2004.” (Raymond Freymann)

The vehicle was propelled by a twelve-cylinder power unit that had been developed by BMW Group Research and Technology and manufactured at in-house workshops. On the BMW test circuit at Miramas in France, this car went on to break nine international records for hydrogen-powered engines with a reciprocating engine, attaining a top speed of more than 300 km/h.

The “Turbosteamer” is a research project which specialists at BMW Forschung und Technik GmbH have been working on for ten years. The system is intended to make use of waste heat and is based on the principle of a steam process. It has demonstrated the potential to reduce consumption by up to ten percent when cars are driven by customers over long distances. The first generation – a maximalist approach – was launched in the public domain in 2005. The second generation was developed with a clear focus on suitability for volume production and is therefore smaller and simpler than the first generation. The research team presented this to a public audience in August 2011.

Autonomous driving – a “crazy” idea becomes reality. 

In 2005, the researchers developed another “crazy” idea. A BMW was to maintain an ideal line at high speed on defined race tracks using an automated drive mode. The BMW TrackTrainer achieved even greater success. The system took a BMW round the North Loop of the Nürburgring completely autonomously on 21 October 2009 and the Laguna Seca Raceways in California on 25 May 2011. And the BMW TrackTrainer is also being used for race-track training at the BMW Group driver experience facility.

But this was not enough for Freymann. The specialists used the platform of the BMW TrackTrainer as they moved to the next stage and developed the BMW emergency stop assistant in the “SmartSenior” research project. If a driver undergoes a health crisis that precipitates an emergency, the system switches to autonomous drive mode and carries out a safe emergency stop manoeuvre. This in turn forms the basis for the current challenge being addressed by the researchers: highly automated driving on the motorway.

“My objective to crown my professional career at BMW was to make highly automated driving on the motorway a reality. We achieved this objective in August 2011 when driving along the A9 from Munich to Nuremberg and back. I am very proud of this achievement.” (Raymond Freymann)

Apart from these selected projects, an average of 70 projects run in BMW Group Research and Technology during the course of any one year. Christoph Grote and his team are able to look forward to many challenging projects over the coming years.

Munich. Gerhard Richter (55), member of the Board of Management of BMW M GmbH,
will be taking over the project management for the new BMW Gran Turismo from
January 2008. This vehicle was presented to the public for the first time as a
concept study at the Shanghai Motor Show in spring 2007. It is a cutting edge
technological vehicle which will round off the BMW product range at the top end.

Albert Biermann (50) will be responsible in the future for the development of M
and individual vehicles .

For questions please contact:

Corporate Communications

Michael Rebstock, Business Communications
Telephone: +49 89 382-20470, Fax: +49 89 382-24418

Marc Hassinger, Business and Finance Communications
Telephone: +49 89 382-23362, Fax: +49 89 382-24418

Media website: https://newsroom.bmwgroup.com/global/en
e-mail: presse@bmw.de

July 20, 2004, Whitby, ON...BMW Group Canada announced today that Hendrik von
Kuenheim (45), President and CEO has accepted the position of President and CEO
of BMW Group Spain, effective September 1, 2004. Von Kuenheim, one of Canada's
longest serving automotive company chief executives leaves BMW Group Canada
after six years.

Mr. von Kuenheim joined BMW Group Canada as President and CEO in 1998, and
during his term BMW Group Canada has been one of the fastest growing
subsidiaries in the BMW Group world and the number one volume premium brand
company in Canada. Under von Kuenheim's leadership, sales of BMW vehicles in
Canada jumped from 7,701 in 1998 to a combined 17,868 BMW and MINI brand units
in 2003. In June 2004, BMW Group Canada retailed 2,445 vehicles representing
the company's best sales month ever in Canada.

An avid motorcyclist, Mr. von Kuenheim also oversaw the growth of BMW Motorrad
Canada sales from 494 motorcycles in 1998 to 1,141 BMW motorcycles sold in
Canada in 2003. 2002 saw a major milestone for BMW Motorrad Canada, as sales
broke the 1,000 volume mark for the first time, with 1,081 bikes sold.

"The decision to take on the new assignment was a difficult one as my family
and I consider Canada as our home," says Hendrik von Kuenheim. "I feel very
grateful for having the opportunity to experience this magnificent country and
am thankful for the many wonderful memories that I am able to take with me as I
embrace new opportunities, undertake new responsibilities, and face new
challenges."

BMW Group Canada's product portfolio has grown significantly under the
leadership of von Kuenheim. During his presidency, the BMW X5 and X3 Sports
Activity Vehicles were launched into the Canadian market in 1999 and 2004
respectively. In 2002, Mr. von Kuenheim oversaw the highly successful
introduction of the MINI brand into the Canadian automotive market. To date,
more than 6,000 MINIs are being driven on Canadian roads. In 2004, BMW Group
Canada also welcomed the new BMW 6 Series coupe and cabriolet into Canada. And
the existing BMW line-up of 3, 5 and 7 Series models continues to grow sales
volumes to unprecedented levels.

In addition to the product offensive, Mr. von Kuenheim has overseen significant
expansion resulting in the complete rebuilding of BMW Group Canada's retail
network facilities. BMW and MINI retailers in Canada have invested over $200
million in the BMW and MINI brands through the construction of new or
substantially renovated stores since 1998. Mr. von Kuenheim also spearheaded
the construction of BMW Toronto, Canada's most prominent retail facility that
was opened in the fall of 2003. This unprecedented investment by BMW and MINI
retailers is viewed by parent company BMW AG as the benchmark in subsidiary
retail networks worldwide.

As a result of his time in Canada the subsidiary has become BMW Group's 11th
largest volume subsidiary worldwide. BMW Group Canada is well on its way to
achieving his long term vision of 2% of the Canadian automotive market share.

The posting in Spain is von Kuenheim's ninth since he joined the company in
1985. BMW Group Spain, based in Madrid, is currently the seventh largest
market for BMW Group worldwide and competes in what is currently Europe's
fastest growing automotive market.

Mr. von Kuenheim's successor will be announced in the near future.

BMW Group Canada, based in Whitby, Ontario, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BMW
AG and is responsible for the distribution of BMW luxury performance
automobiles, Sports Activity Vehicles, Motorcycles, and MINI. BMW Group
Financial Services Canada is a division of BMW Group Canada and offers retail
financing and leasing programs on new and pre-owned BMW and MINI automobiles,
as well as retail financing for new and pre-owned BMW Motorcycles. A total
network of 36 BMW automobile retail centres, 18 BMW motorcycle retailers, and
19 MINI retailers represents the BMW Group across the country.

-30-