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Record sales for BMW

MUNICH, Germany – The BMW Group is optimistic about the next financial year after record-breaking sales during 2012, despite a shaky economy.

BMW AG’s Chairman of the Board of Management, Norbert Reithofer said:  "We are aiming to achieve a further rise in unit sales in 2013 and hence a new sales volume record,” at the Annual Accounts press conference in Munich on Tuesday (March 19).

NEW MODELS

The German automaker plans to continue to invest in growing the company’s capacity due to the constant demand of their vehicles. The Group plans to launch 25 new models by the end of 2014. 

The BMW Group said they have implemented the first third of their strategy number one, launched in 2007. The group's profit before tax doubled during between 2007 and 2012.

“2012 has been the most successful year in our corporate history, with new records achieved for sales volume, revenues, and Group earnings", said Reithofer.

The total number of BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brand vehicles rose by 10.6% in 2012 with a new high of more than 1.8-million units compared to 1.6-million in 2011.

Part of their strategy includes a host of innovative concept vehicles – including the BMW i3 – as well as fuel consumption reduction thanks to EfficientDynamics technology.

As of 2013, 73 group models do not exceed 140 grams of CO2 per kilometre driven. Five years ago the total only stood at 27 models.

The group plans to sell more than two million models across the stable by 2016.

According to BMW, electromobility will be a core focus in 2013.

COMING SOON

The first pre-series BMW i3 came off the production line in January 2013 and already the car has received several hundred advanced orders. The i3 was designed to run with zero emissions and will be on sale by the end of 2013.

Designed with a carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger compartment, an aluminium chassis, the i3 will be 250 to 350 kilograms lighter than rival electric car.

It has a 150km driving range and customers will have the option of increasing that figure with a “range extender”. Production times are also reduced by using fewer assembly parts and methods. The i3 will only take half the time to build compared to a conventional car.
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