Mr. Juraschek, was BMW slow off the mark with electric mobility?
Juraschek: No, absolutely not. The BMW Group actually played a pioneering role with BMW i. Today we are the premium manufacturer offering the widest range of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrids. We currently produce the following electrified models: the BMW i3 (third model evolution with 120 Ah) , BMW i3s, BMW i8 Coupe, BMW i8 Roadster, BMW 740e, BMW 740Le, BMW 530e, BMW 225xe Active Tourer, MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4 and, in China, the BMW X1 xDrive25Le. Plus, we have also announced new plug-in hybrid variants of the 3 Series Sedan and BMW X5 for 2019 following the arrival of new model generations. This number is set to grow to at least 13 plug-in hybrid models by 2025. Adding these to the wide selection of all-electric cars – whose range is due to increase substantially next year incidentally – will bring the portfolio of electrified vehicles to at least 25.
Sales topped the 100,000 mark last year and will have grown by around 50% this year.
Is the BMW Group prepared if electric mobility starts to gather momentum at an even greater pace in future?
Juraschek: The BMW Group is already developing its fifth generation of electric drive systems, meaning that it has created an excellent foundation for the future. This latest generation will go into service as soon as 2020 in the BMW iX3.
A crucial advantage of this fifth-generation system is that the electric motor, transmission and power electronics now form a single, highly integrated electric drive component. This extremely compact unit takes up far less space than the three separate components used in preceding generations. Its modular construction means that it is scalable, too, allowing it to be modified to suit all sorts of different installation spaces and power requirements. The BMW Group will start to fit the next generation of battery cells in the new, scalable and even more powerful vehicle batteries alongside the introduction of the new electric drive components. The modular “building block” concept will allow the new batteries to be incorporated flexibly into every vehicle architecture. Another highly integrated component will be added to the portfolio in the form of a DC/DC charger unit.
So how will it all work?
Juraschek: On the one hand, we will have flexible vehicle architectures and, on the other, the scalable and modular building blocks for the electric drive systems. This will bring about a lasting increase in flexibility. In future, we will be able to swiftly decide which models we are going to equip with what mix of all-electric drive, plug-in hybrid drive or exceptionally efficient combustion engines. This will let us partially or fully electrify each model in accordance with market demand, creating the basis for the mass-market introduction of pure battery electric vehicles in the future.
Don’t you think there is a risk of not being able to obtain the necessary quantities of raw materials once battery electric vehicles start to be produced in big numbers?
Juraschek: We do not see any supply risks, even in the event of growing demand for battery cells. My colleagues in Purchasing have secured a reliable supply with long-term contracts. We have also built up in-house battery cell expertise over the course of joint projects with international partners throughout the value chain. This is used to ensure access to the technology and to safeguard supplies. At the same time, we are also endeavouring to gradually lower the proportion of critical raw materials that are used. For example, one of the key objectives of our research and development activities is to bring about a substantial reduction in the proportion of cobalt in battery cells.
The electric motor in our fifth-generation electric powertrain is another illustration of this, as it is completely free of rare earths.
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SOURCE: BMW Group
