Speech Oliver Zipse, Virtual World Premiere of BMW Concept i4.

Good morning, and welcome to the BMW Group!

This is the time of year we usually meet in Geneva and it is unfortunate that this year, we are unable to do so. However, safety is always our highest priority and we fully understand and respect the decision taken by the Federal Council of Switzerland. We would like to express our utmost empathy to all those directly affected across the world. And in these truly challenging times, we all hope that the virus will soon be contained, and we can all return to everyday life.

Even though we couldn’t meet in Geneva, we felt that it was important to give everyone an update on “what’s new” at the BMW Group. And also, to pay tribute to the many people who have worked tirelessly on our new products and their presentation. And that’s why we are here, at the very heart of BMW Group Design, for the world premiere of a very special concept car.

At the BMW Group, we believe in the power of choice and electro-mobility is an important part of that. That’s why we are launching many new electrified vehicles over the next few years.

The brand-new MINI Electric is already in high demand, with more than 120,000 registered interests and close to 7,000 order intakes. This proves it is the perfect car for urban areas! This year we will be launching the all-electric BMW iX3 - our first pure electric Sports Activity vehicle - and the trailblazer for our all-new fifth generation BMW eDrive technology. We will also be launching further plug-in hybrids in 2020: For example, the new BMW X1 plug-in hybrid, the BMW X2 and the electrified BMW 3 Series Touring will be attractive additions to our wide range. Already, we have over half a million BMW Group electrified vehicles on the road. And we intend to double this number by the end of next year.

More fully-electric vehicles will be coming next year, including the BMW iNEXT and the BMW i4. Today, we want to give you a glimpse of the BMW i4. Let’s take a look! (Unveiling of the BMW Concept i4)

Ladies and Gentlemen: The Concept i4!

This four-door BMW Gran Coupé is fully electric and just as fascinating and fast as it looks. It is also suited to long distances, with an electric range of up to 600 kilometres, based on the new WLTP test cycle. Powered by our fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology, it has a very slim battery with optimum energy density.

Moreover, the development and production of the e-drive is done in-house, as well as the battery cell research. The e-drive offers a thrilling peak performance of up to 530 horsepower. And, we will not use any rare earths in the electric motor.

All of this shows that we are fully committed to climate protection.

I can assure you and our customers: We will fulfil the tough European CO2 regulations for 2020 and 2021. This year alone, we will reduce our European fleet target by around 20 percent.

I promise you: Our customers will never have to compromise between driving pleasure and sustainable mobility. Every BMW will drive like a true BMW. The BMW i4 will definitely be proof of that! We will build this great car right here in Munich, and I can tell you this: The design you see here is quite close to the actual series car.

Thank you!