Image: BMW (BMW)
The managing directors of the two BMW companies, Klaus von Moltke (BMW Motoren in Steyr) and Christian Morawa (BMW Austria), present the key figures for the past year in a good mood.
The BMW plant in Steyr generated sales of 4.2 billion euros, a strong increase of 16 percent. The number of engines produced increased by eight percent to 1.212 million (after 1.121 million). Von Moltke explains the reason for the larger jump in sales than sales with higher development work that was invoiced to the group, and the delivery of housings for electric motors also means additional business. Higher transfer prices to the BMW parent would not play a role. “From a component factory’s perspective, that wouldn’t be the right message to pass on cost increases,” said von Moltke.
“Entering a critical phase of our transformation”
In Steyr there are 4,700 employees, 200 more than in the previous year. Without going into detail about the number of staff employed through temporary employment companies, von Moltke said: “We are entering the critical phase of our transformation in the factory and are building up crucial competencies. This can only be done with the utmost flexibility.” Up to a third of the staff in the BMW factory usually work through temporary employment companies.
The BMW sales company reports that more than 6,300 fully electric BMWs and Minis were sold – that was an increase of 73 percent and so Morawa emphasizes stronger growth than in the overall market. If you take all forms of drive together, BMW registered more than 20,100 vehicles in Austria last year, an increase of almost nine percent. This also brought the sales company a sales record of 1.1 billion euros (plus 14 percent). Sales themselves increased by nine percent. Behind this lies “good price realization and a positive product mix,” says Morawa – i.e. few discounts and large-volume and more expensive electric models.
For this year, BMW expects the overall market to be at the same level as last year, and several new models should have a positive effect, according to sales expectations. For the engine plant, von Moltke says the plant would also be able to deliver 1.3 million engines. But you would also have to be prepared if you only assemble 1.1 million units. Von Moltke is convinced that the entry into electromobility is happening at the right time. As reported, the systems are being assembled in a new production hall. The plan is to produce 600,000 electric motors per year. As reported, BMW is investing one billion euros for this.
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