BMW To Cut Back On Equipment Variations - Cost Savings To Go Towards Research And Development

BMW will streamline its manufacturing process, offering fewer variants of engines and equipment, to offset high r&d spending through 2019, the German carmaker's finance chief Nicolas Peter said on Wednesday.

The group is developing electric, autonomous and connected cars in addition to vehicles with combustion engines to meet more stringent emissions tests.

At the same time, China's aggressive push to introduce electric car quotas has forced European carmakers to accelerate the development and roll-out of electric and hybrid vehicles, pushing up their costs.

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jeffy210 - 6/28/2017 5:43:21 PM

-1 Boost

What in the world is people's hard on against Tesla on this site? They're a true American based company, making cars in America, that is actually innovating in ways other car manufacturers haven't tried until they showed up. That's the quintessential American dream, and everyone on this site treats them like they'll cause the downfall of Western civilization.

MDarringer - 6/28/2017 7:00:20 PM

+3 Boost

Tesla's innovations are NONE. Their EV technology is the same as GM or Nissan. Their systems' technology is nowhere near as good as Mercedes/BMW/Audi. Tesla is a swindle.

malba2367 - 6/28/2017 5:59:36 PM

-1 Boost

What does this article have to do with Tesla?

templar19d - 6/28/2017 7:47:00 PM

+4 Boost

Sir, no issue with Tesla EXCEPT they rely on govt welfare thru 7500.00 rebates. They don't make a profit without them. An innovative product but the market nor GOV forcing us to pay for them. Having said that I hope Mr Musk gets us to Mars.

skytop - 6/29/2017 12:28:52 AM

-1 Boost

Does that mean that most BMW will have the same low H.P. output engine or all will have the high H.P. output engine?

TomM - 6/29/2017 6:09:40 AM

+1 Boost

There was a time when many Japanese cars were sold with certain features only available on certain models - and you could not "add" them as optional equipment. SO - if you wanted a steering wheel - you had to buy the Deluxe version of the car. Anti-lock brakes only came on the highest level model. That was different from the US model with a long list of possible options making the ability to choose hundreds if different combinations. Engine HP is likely to be a determiner of the model designation - but other former options arelikely to require purchasing certain level models or higher rather than the base model and adding options. So you might have to buy a car that has things you really did not want to get what you do want. For Example - when I bought my Chrysler Mini-van - I required a rear view camera - which was ONLY available on the cars that also had a built in DVD player in the ceiling for the second and third rows - and this "option" was ridiculously expensive compared to what you can buy those things for today at a store.

Firewombat - 6/30/2017 1:24:23 PM

0 Boost

@TomM May I ask what model year your Mini Van is?

oldschool - 7/3/2017 12:56:11 PM

+1 Boost

makes sense. the number of variations/options/customization has gotten out of hand. NECESSARY at the high end with the 6 and 7. completely unnecessary at the entry and mid-levels as those cars are almost always sold right off the lot. smart.