Young Global players such as the electric car pioneer Tesla to make renowned car manufacturers such as BMW a lot of pressure. The people of Munich have to be a Tech group, calls for the Board of management boss Harald Krüger.

Munich – The radical transformation of the auto industry is the manufacturer according to BMW CEO Harald Krüger on sight in the future to. “Over a period of ten years, no prediction is possible,” said Kruger at the innovation conference DLD in Munich. The technology change too quickly. For the next five years is at least clear that there will be more electric cars, and Autonomous vehicles on the road would be.

But also for the next five years, much is unclear. “Who knows how many electric vehicles BMW will sell in the year 2023 in Russia,” asked Kruger on Sunday rhetorically in the room. It could be 10 or maybe 10,000, he said. The choices for this time would need to be taken today. And BMW must be prepared for both of these developments. Therefore, for example, vehicles with electric, Hybrid and internal combustion drive, it should be built on a production line.

+ the Prime Minister Söder visited in December a BMW factory.©picture alliance/dpa / Matthias Balk

In recent years, the established car companies got new competition with electric car manufacturers like Tesla, and is currently also a lot of Tech research company on technology for future Robotaxi services. “We are in a technology war,” said Kruger. The manufacturer would have to take every Challenger seriously, said the BMW-in-chief on the question of whether the place of the threat of deer to be like once Nokia or Kodak of the digitization roll over. The good news is that the interest of so many companies in this business means that mobility is a future business. But if you don’t be as the manufacturer successfully, would someone show up who wanted to buy one.

Recently, the German car manufacturer such as BMW have had a setback in the Chinese car market. After years of growth the world has shrunk-largest sales market in the year 2018. There are a number of reasons.

electric cars and innovative technologies: Is BMW losing the connection?

His challenge is now to transform the BMW into a technology company where the customer is at the centre, stressed Harald Krüger. “We also have a war of the interface to the customer.” This requires a rethinking of the often technology-driven automotive industry. A few years ago, German engineers had gerümpft the nose, as a US buyer wanted to have a drinks holder in the car, he said.

especially the companies behind the two Smartphone platforms – Google with Android and Apple with the iOS System for its iPhones – the manufacturers of the space on the screen of the Infotainment systems in dispute. This could be in the future, the interface that the money was in the car with additional services is earned. The car companies are trying, with the improvement of their Software to counteract. “Other companies would like to have our data,” said Kruger. “We have the customer one hour per day in the car. This is a very valuable time.“

“There are people that like to drive a car is still” said Kruger with a view on the Trend to mobility services and the increasing number of city-dwellers, the refrain, in the meantime, on a private car. “If you are driving on a night with a blue sky in Bavaria, in the mountains, whether with an electric or internal combustion engine, and the no fun – then I can’t help you.”

More: Artificial intelligence, Autonomous Driving and digital fully networked. The car of the future is not a pure car anymore. More of a mobility service provider, on four wheels or a mobile entertainment device and even a mobile office.

PF/dpa