In partnership with BMW i, AllBright speaks to one of the brand’s product managers about her work with electric vehicles and why she believes they are the way forwards for cars.
The BMW Group is accelerating the design and manufacture of electric vehicles, with plans to offer 25 electrified models by 2023, 12 of which will be fully electric. By 2030, the brand aims to have delivered 7 million fully electric cars. The BMW Group is also working towards cutting C02 emissions for vehicle production by 80% by 2030 compared to 2019, and hopes to reduce C02 emissions in the supply chain by 20% before this date, too.
So how will BMW go about achieving this mission? Here, AllBright speaks to Carina Gaertner, a BMW product manager working with the BMW i models. Having worked with the brand for a decade, Carina was involved in the creation of the BMW iX from the very beginning of development in 2015, an opportunity she calls a “once-in-a-lifetime chance”. Here, she shares her story.
What does your role in the product management team involve?
As a product manager, I am responsible for translating the various requirements of our customers worldwide into the development of our products; in this case, the BMW iX. We also develop, from a customer perspective, the product and options offers for the iX. The launch and life-cycle management is also part of my daily work.
Why is electric the future for cars?
I strongly believe that Electromobility is the way forward. Our customers are driven by global trends such as urbanisation, more responsible production, and a desire for individual mobility.
I am happy to see that customers are starting to care more about the sustainability aspect of a car. They do not just ask for sustainable materials to be used inside the car, but also about the sustainability of the whole value chain. In my opinion, that is an important step forward.
What pioneering innovations has BMW led the charge on for electric cars so far? What are the positive benefits of electric cars, and how are they more beneficial to the environment?
The BMW Group has always stood for an advanced understanding of premium. Following on from the BMW i3 which launched in 2013 as an enabler for electric propulsion, the BMW iX and BMW i4 represent the second phase of the BMW Group’s transformation towards electromobility. These cars offer the latest BMW innovations in terms of our eDrive technology and charging.
In our 5th generation of purely electric drivetrains, we have developed a modular and scalable system consisting of a highly integrated eDrive unit and a highly developed high voltage battery, as well as a Combined Charging Unit. This Gen5 eDrive unit is a good example of the powertrain combining dynamics, efficiency, and benefits in terms of more responsible vehicle production.
The BMW Group is further developing the next generation of its battery technology, with the aim of significantly increasing the energy density of the cells to reduce the use of primary material.
What innovations can we expect to see in BMW’s fleet of electric cars in the future?
In general BMW vehicles are, and will be, human-centric. One approach to this is ‘shy tech’, which means the technology is in the background; it’s always there when needed, but it’s mostly invisible. This means BMW cars will become more seamless and intuitive to use. Hence, the digital environment in which the car is set (the operating system, service pack, graphical user interface, user interaction) will play an important role.
Customers spend a lot of time in their cars so we are working on new ways of providing entertainment inside the car; it’s all about the true BMW experience. Of course, our electric cars will still offer the high-level technology and driving capabilities that customers expect from a BMW: driving agility, handling, ride comfort and joy are all important to us and our customers, and this is what BMW stands for. In addition, we are also working on charging technology and topics to make charging as fast and as hassle-free as possible.
Why are you proud to work on the iX and what do you hope to achieve in the future?
The iX gave me a once-in-a-lifetime chance to work on a car without a predecessor. So, we started from scratch and had lots of freedom in designing and developing the car. On the other hand, this also required a lot of courage and foresight to be able to bring new technologies into the car. We also had to put a lot of work into winning people over and convincing them that this was the right approach. Now, we are launching the iX and customer and press feedback is not just good, but phenomenal. That is the best reward for me.
To find out more about the BMW Group’s electric cars head here