BMW invested close to 40 million dollars in its SLP plant

The BMW Group invested close to 40 million additional dollars in its San Luis Potosí plant, for the production of its third model in Mexico, the M2 sports car, informed the president and CEO of the BMW Group Plant San Luis Potosí, Harald Gottsche.

He specified that the German brand is committed to increasing the number of national suppliers to strengthen regional production in North America, mainly electrical components, after having suffered from the semiconductor shortage since 2021 and which has hit the automotive industry. Within the framework of the Tech Fest BMW event, the manager explained “we need more suppliers in Mexico, because last year we realized that we had problems with the supply chain.”

Harald Gottsche specified that given the restriction of the United States for the use of Chinese lithium, BMW has undertaken the task of making alliances with Argentina and they are analyzing the Mexican market for the use of this metal for the production of electric batteries. BMW is betting that 2023 will be a year of stability for the supply of semiconductors, which would allow it to project double-digit sales growth in the Mexican market with the launch of 15 models, 10 of which are hybrid and electric.

“By 2023, the new BMW iX1 and BMW i7 will arrive in Latin America, as well as the BMW XM with its plug-in hybrid propulsion system developed by BMW, as well as the BMW iX M60,” the company commented.

With this fast-growing product lineup and high demand, the BMW Group aims to have more than two million fully electric vehicles on the road by the end of 2025. With a view to the transition of electromobility in Mexico, the car brand premium will work with various automotive companies and suppliers to install charging infrastructure in the country.

Maru Escobedo, CEO of BMW Group Mexico, said: “we are working on the charging infrastructure (for electric cars) that will continue to grow, there are 40,000 private and corporate chargers delivered in the Latin American region, 20,000 were in Mexico.” She announced that next year there will be a mobility route, so investment projects in fast charging infrastructure will continue, so that consumers, for each stop they make, can charge 80% in their units. electrical.

“We reaffirm our commitment to Latin America and we are ready to offer in 2023 the Premium sustainable individual mobility solutions that our market requires,” added the president and CEO of BMW Group Latin America.

He stressed that electrification will be the spearhead of the BMW Group’s strategy in 2030, with the aim of achieving carbon neutrality by 2050, for which the brand has set goals for 2030, which incorporate electrification for development of products.

lilia.gonzalez@eleconomista.mx