The waiting times for the electronic i4 are currently up to nine months. BMW hadn’t expected such high demand. Now the work plan is to be adjusted.
The car manufacturer BMW wants to introduce additional shifts at the Munich plant due to the high demand for the fully electric Coupé i4.
There are now talks with the works council, said a BMW spokeswoman on Wednesday. One possibility, for example, is to work on Saturday in addition to the two shifts a day from Monday to Friday.
“Wirtschaftswoche” reported that the waiting time for an i4 ordered was already nine months. That’s why BMW wants to introduce Saturday shifts in Munich in the first quarter.
BMW spokespersons said that the demand for the i4 was “higher than expected” and that the waiting times lasted until the second quarter of 2022. Production of the large coupé, which competes with Tesla’s electric cars, started at the end of October – a little earlier than originally planned. According to Sales Director Pieter Nota, there are currently a significant five-digit number of orders for the i4 in Europe.
1000 cars a day in Munich
So far, around 1,000 3 and 4 series cars are built in Munich every day. The fully electric i4 now comes off the same line as the 3 and 4 series with gasoline, diesel and hybrid drives. The vehicles differ mainly in their electric drive and battery.
Theoretically, the i4 could also be built in the BMW plant in Mexico, where 3 Series also roll off the assembly line. But in the short term this cannot be implemented because of the necessary systems and employee training, and there are no specific plans, said a spokeswoman. It is possible, however, to create more capacity for the i4 in Munich by relocating orders for three to other locations.
The production of the new electric car is less affected by semiconductor bottlenecks: It enjoys “a certain priority” in the group, as Munich plant manager Peter Weber said at the start of production.
Source From: Stern
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
