A plan to save 500 million euros this year

After a particularly disappointing year in terms of sales, BMW sees light at the end of the tunnel. Now convinced that the situation improves, the high range of Munich constructor planned to produce in the second half at least as many vehicles that a year ago, is 620.600 units. A sign of confidence apparent on the part of a group who had never endured a harsh crisis. "No one knows exactly what the recovery will look like, and much uncertainty still prevails today. But during the fourth quarter, unless the economy collapses again, we should return to growth. "We are therefore in this period, and the year 2010, with cautious optimism," said Harald Krüger, HRD and Director of industrial relations of the group.

In September, the constructor her hair BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce has recorded a slight upturn in sales ( 0.7), the first since August 2008. Of course, this renewed is linked to the Mini brand ( 9.5) rather than the BMW blazon, still fell by 1.2. But compared with double-digit declines which are linked since last fall, the climate is certainly less burdensome. Today, BMW hopes to finish the year on a decline in shipments between 10 and 15-15.7 from January to September. Which would, if all goes well, to display a result positive pre-tax, erasing the light deficit of 47 million euros in the first half.

To meet the thaw of the application, the industrial unit of the Group began out of its torpor. The German factories of Munich, Dingolfing and Regensburg Landsut, which had introduced partial unemployment and working weeks shortened (4 days worked instead of 5), come to stop this plan. Leipzig, the latest plant, even 500 more employees were recruited (including 200 entrants from another site) and the cadences of manufacturing rose from 600 to 730 cars per day, for the release of the new X 1 model.

Hiring of 200 engineers

Even in these difficult times, the manufacturer maintains its investment of EUR 1 billion plan in its German sites. One of them could even inherit some Mini production, while the bulk of the volumes will remain in England. Just before the crisis, Norbert Reithofer group was separated from approximately 7,000 employees, through early retirement and by outsourcing a computer subsidiary. A plan to save 500 million euros this year. Now, it will again hire some 200 engineers, in particular to work on hybrid engines, said Harald Krüger. Clean engines projects actively mobilize the House teams are, for example, came on 23 September in Brittany inspect the new plant of electric batteries of Bolloré.

While remaining prudent, BMW maintains its goal to sell 1.8 million vehicles in 2012, against 1.5 million in 2007. Key to this plan, many upcoming vehicle launches. After the release of the X 1 crossover and the 5 series gran turismo, before the end of the year, are already planned for after the new version of the series 5 (February 2010), a hybrid variant in 485 horses of the imposing X 6 (April) 4 x 4 opus of the Mini, which will be almost as big as the X 1 (June), followed by the new X 3 in the fall.