BMW Calls EV Mandates 'Dead End Street'

Описание: ...Source: https://insideevs.com/news/760038/bmw... Transcript: Per InsideEVs, BMW is facing serious challenges, especially in China where its sales have dropped sharply — part of a wider trend hitting German automakers. The company saw a 23% drop in first-quarter earnings this year, even before new U.S. auto tariffs kicked in. One bright spot is its electric vehicle business, which grew 32% year-over-year last quarter.

Despite that growth, BMW CEO Oliver Zipse is warning regulators not to push too hard on electrification. At the company’s annual meeting, he pointed out that EV adoption varies wildly — from 60% of new car sales in Belgium to just 4% in Italy — and called for more flexibility in regulation.

BMW is betting big on its upcoming Neue Klasse electric models to turn things around, but stiff global competition and profit pressure are making it a tough road. Rising tariffs, especially a likely 25% hit on exports to the U.S., and the acceleration of Chinese automakers, are squeezing BMW and its peers from all sides.

Germany’s economy depends heavily on the auto industry, and with two years of GDP decline, political backing may shift to ease regulations to protect jobs and capital.