The choice of royalty and now the choice of millennials, BMW is the 100 year old automobile country which has always set benchmarks for the way people drive. Here are ten things that you should know about the company that makes BMW, MINI and Rolls Royce –
10 Key Things about BMW
1. BMW AG as we know is the Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft. The company was started in 1916 and currently has headquarters in Munich, Germany. This premium automotive brand with a strong focus on innovation has research centres across 5 countries and production facilities across 30 locations in 14 countries. The company sells its automotives through a wide dealership network of 3,310 BMW, 1,550 Mini, 140 Rolls Royce and 1,150 BMW motorcycle dealerships worldwide.
2. While the world recognizes BMW as a premium car company, it has more in its portfolio. Today, it has embraced technology and has BMWi, the electric car segment as well the traditional BMW M series. It also has the MINI Cooper an urban car as well as the royal Rolls Royce. Motorcycles are sold under the brand name Motorrad. DriveNow, ChargeNow, ParkNow and Alphabet are their technology businesses in conjecture with their automobile business. BMW Group Financial Services is a growing profitable segment.
3.It has been on an upward trend with respect to financials, the automotive segment had revenues of 85,536 million Euros in FY15 an increase from 63,229 million Euros in FY11. The entire BMW group made a net profit of 6,396 million Euros in FY15 almost a 30% increase from 4,907 million Euros in FY11. It’s earnings per share also increased from 9.8 Euros in FY15 to 7.45 Euros in FY11.
4. ‘Sheer Driving Pleasure’ is how BMW brands itself worldwide and is among the top 20 brands globally. It has a brand value of USD 34,968 million in 2016 according to Brand Finance Directory. The unparalleled German engineering is making strides into clean technology and smarter vehicles which is bringing millennials on board. Its iconic roundel logo is recognized across the world, the logo signifies the movement of an aircraft propeller cutting through a blue sky while also showcasing the blue and white color of Bavarian flag.
5. Driving has changed over the world where the focus in on efficiency and safety of driver. It has brought in many innovations in its cars for more intelligent driving. It has a driving assistant plus where the driver can semi drive upto speeds of 210km/h, a traffic jam assistant that helps the driver manage up to 60km/h as well as remote controlled parking which allows for fully automated parking with a display key. The MINI has a high tech project called the MINI Augmented Vision where digital information is displayed directly in the wearer’s vision which will provide important driving information.
6. Mobile technology has changed the way people purchase and use products; the automobile industry is not far behind. BMW Group has also come out with several apps which provide information, educate as well as accessorize the cars. BMW Connected and MINI Connected supplement BMW Connected cars and provide drivers with information. Head up Screen is also a AR app while BMW Magazine, BMW Individual s7 series, BMW individual and MINI Click & Drive provide information related to the group.
7. Personal mobility is the driving factor behind BMW and it has also gotten into manufacturing cycles as a very niche segment. It has introduced the BMW Cruise Bike, Cruise e-bike with battery which enables optimum support to the rider and the Cruiser Bike Junior. In tradition with BMW vehicles, these cycles are built to perfection and for driving pleasure across the city as well as countryside.
8. The history of motorsport is linked to the history of BMW itself, dating back to 1923 with the launch of the first Motorcycle. It sponsors Formula BMW; Kumho BMW Championship as well participates with its motorcycles in the Dakar Rally, Superbike World Championship. It had a long successful history with Formula One as well their cars having won 20 races. However, it withdrew from Formula One in 2009 season and have sold it to the previous owner Peter Sauber.
9. More than 122,244 employees are a part of its group and more than 4,700 apprentices. This group is so diverse that it is formed of more than 115 nationalities working together! In fact employee growth is one of the long term sustainable goals as formulated by BMW. The company is focused towards promoting women in management positions as well as becoming part of a change in the ecosystem. Currently about 14.5% of management positions in the BMW group are held by women. The group is also involved in further education for employees and has spent more than 352 million Euros in FY15 for the same.
10. As an automobile company, it has to face climate change and fossil fuel concerns as a part of sustainable strategy. It has worked towards reducing 127g/km CO2 emissions in BMW group automobiles in FY15, while it has sold 29,513 BMWi vehicles in FY15 which means that consumers are willing to shift to cleaner technology. The number of users of DriveNow has also increased from 13,000 in FY11 to 579,000 in FY15 leading to better usage of vehicles already on road. It also occupies the first place in automotive industry in Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes (DJSI) and the only automotive company to be listed since the beginning.