BMW is working hard at delivering more eco-friendly models, including plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles. However, according to the top labor representative in Germany, Mr. Manfred Schoch, the management of the company is not moving fast enough. In a rather unexpected public statement, Schoch scolded the top brass in Munich, claiming the company should adopt EVs at a faster pace and put them into production as soon as possible.
“Management has been slow to decide on investing in more electric models,” Manfred Schoch, who’s also deputy chairman of BMW’s supervisory board, said in an interview on Thursday. “The company must expand its range to include electric versions of its core lineup, including 3-, 5- and 7-series sedans,” he said. “Anything else would be detrimental to the business.”
Worker representatives have considerable influence in Germany, so any public statements by the top brass is usually taken seriously. The move towards more EVs and plug-in hybrids could also lead to loss of jobs. Yet, the optimistic team claims that there will be a counterbalance in the shape of more jobs being added in other sectors such as software development but even so, the number of workers will be diminished. In this regard, Schoch said that programs aiming at retraining workers should help people find other jobs or specialize in different fields.
BMW refused to offer an answer but their official prognostics say that by 2025 about 25% of the cars sold worldwide will be EVs. That, for BMW, should account to at least 500,000 based on the sales figures recorded in 2015. Since sales are expected to continue to grow over the next few years, that figure could easily go up as well. And while officials confirmed work on all-electric versions of the upcoming BMW X3 and a MINI model has commenced, that may very well not be enough.
