Tag Archives: BMW Group

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BMW agreed on a partnership with Rimac Technology

Mate Rimac posted on his Facebook profile that Rimac Technology and BMW Group have reached an agreement on a long-term partnership. This represents a milestone and the biggest and most ambitious project the company has had so far.

Rimac Technology manufactures electric drive systems and battery systems for global car manufacturers, and will now develop and manufacture high-voltage battery systems for BMW Group vehicles, which will be used in future models.

“For me, it all started with a BMW from 1984, which I started to convert to electric drive in 2008. At that time, it was my dream to work for BMW. This collaboration marks a key moment in the growth of Rimac Technology and is a clear sign of the transition from a high performance product provider for small series models (like Aston Martin Valkyrie, Pininfarina Battista, Rimac Nevere etc.) to a high capacity manufacturer for projects like this one with the BMW Group,” said Rimac.

Rimac Gropu is constantly growing. They recently opened Rimac Campus, showing that they are ready to deliver large projects for leading brands in the automotive industry. The project with the BMW Group is just one in a series, and the company says that talks about other similar projects are ongoing.

“Today, we are not only working with BMW, but together we are creating the future of their electric models – in Croatia, where battery systems for future BMW models have been developed and produced for the last two years, and now it has become public. A large part of the Campus is specifically intended for the production of batteries for BMW, which, together with other agreed deals, fully exploits it (we already lack space and are planning a new factory). It is not only the biggest deal in our history, but perhaps the biggest contract in the history of the country (at least I couldn’t find a bigger one),” Rimac wrote.

Source: Mate Rimac via Facebook, BMW

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Germany predicts a drop in demand for EVs in 2024

In the last year, the demand for electric vehicles in Europe has been on the rise. One of the largest manufacturers, the BMW Group, achieved an increase in EV sales in 2023 by 74.4% compared to 2022. However, now the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA) is predicting a drop in demand for EVs in 2024.

Of course, this does not apply to the world market, which expects a growth in demand for EVs this year as well. This could ultimately bring export growth (19 percent to 1.45 million vehicles) but also higher profits for German manufacturers.

At the end of last year, the coalition government of Chancellor Olaf Scholz completely abolished subsidies for electric vehicles, a year earlier than previously planned. Germany will sell over 524,000 fully electric cars in 2023 – more than any other market in Europe. The predicted drop in sales this year means that the share of EVs in Germany will drop from 18 to 16 percent (about 74,000 vehicles less than in 2023).

Inflation, high prices and poor infrastructure of charging stations mostly affected demand, so many manufacturers postponed the introduction of new electric models. Even the leading car rental companies are looking for alternatives for their fleets due to the high cost of maintaining electric vehicles.

The VDA expects the German car market to drop by 1 percent to 2.82 million in 2024. At the same time, the global market is forecast to grow by 2 percent to 77.4 million cars. “Problems in the supply chain have largely been resolved, but the business environment for German carmakers remains challenging,” said VDA chief economist Manuel Kallweit.

Source: German Association of the Automotive Industry – VDA

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Mini has begun production of the new Countryman

In the past two months, the British car manufacturer Mini presented the new fully electric Mini Countryman, as well as the most powerful version of this model, the Mini Countryman JCW, powered by ICE. The car has entered production and the first deliveries are expected on February 17, 2024.

This is the first model of the British brand to be assembled in Germany. It will be produced at the BMW factory in Leipzig with the BMW Series 1 and Series 2. The BMW Group has invested 700 million euros in this factory and initially 100 units will be produced per day. However, the capacity will increase to 500 units per day starting next year. In order to meet the set goals, Mini will employ an additional 900 people.

The Mini Countryman is powered by a single electric motor with 201 hp (148 kW) and is equipped with a 64.7 kWh battery. It reaches 62 mph (100 km/h) in 8.6 seconds and has a range of 462 km. For those who want more power, the Countryman SE ALL4 is powered by two electric motors with a power of 309 hp (227 kW), which is enough to push the car to 100 km/h in 5.6 seconds. Petrol engines with 168, 215 and 296 hp are also available as an option.

Mini Countryman JCW is powered by a 2.0L 4-cylinder turbo engine with 316 hp (236 kW), paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all wheels. That’s 10 hp more than its predecessor, but also enough to push the car to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 5.4 seconds with a top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph).

Source: Mini

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Mini has begun production of the new Countryman