BMW chairman Oliver Zipse warns British government over its 2030 EV plans
Decision to only sell new electric vehicles in the UK from that date will cause ‘self-inflicted’ harm to the UK car industry, warns BMW boss.
BMW chairman Oliver Zipse believes the UK government has moved too fast and too soon with its ambitions for new car sales to become fully electric by 2030.
Speaking at the launch of its new electric BMW i7, Zipse said he had serious concerns over charging infrastructure in the UK and how it has not yet caught up with the country’s electric car sales ambitions.
He said that he fears the decision will cause ‘self-inflicted’ wounds on the car industry supplier infrastructure as the car market and production shrinks in the UK.
The chairman of the board of management for BMW said: “I am warning the British government that it’s too early to end the combustion engine.
“It will lead to a shrinking of the industry and [suppliers will] leave the island.
“This is completely self-inflicted, that’s my take.
“To have a country without charging infrastructure, to think you can do only electric cars, is a dangerous thing.”
In November 2020, the government announced it would ban the sale of new petrol or diesel cars from 2030. Hybrids will be banned from 2035.
Zipse said BMW was still committed to manufacturing in the UK and that its plans for the future had not changed post-Brexit.
However, last week BMW said it would move production of its electric Minis to China from its Oxford factory.
Despite this blow, Zipse said BMW’s commitment to the UK ‘remains the same’.
“Nothing is changing,” he said. “Oxford will stay the home of Mini.
“Hams Hall will produce combustion engines for the world for quite a long time, and Goodwood is being expanded, so actually nothing has really changed.
“But of course, we have product cycles that go up and down, but Cowley stays the home of Mini.”
From 2030, Mini will become a fully electric brand. A spokesman said BMW cannot comment on its long-term production plans for the brand, but said it is committed to ‘Oxford being Mini’s home’.
Zipse added: “Why would things change? We have the workforce we need, the next generation of Minis is about to be launched and we have a completely intact supply network there.
“There were no changes after Brexit, we adapted to it and we continue to do so.”
