BMW Group South Africa hands over two BMW i3s to Siemens South Africa .

Midrand. Multinational engineering conglomerate Siemens South Africa, has introduced two BMW i3s to its vehicle fleet as part of its goal to reduce its fleet fuel consumption and overall carbon foot print by 2030. Today, Tim Abbott, Managing Director of BMW Group South Africa, handed the keys of two BMW i3s with range extenders (REX) to Sabine Dall’ Omo, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa at their Midrand Head Office.

“Since its successful market launch in South Africa in March 2015, a total of 124 BMW i3s have been delivered to customers. In addition, BMW South Africa is working with various partners to roll out public charging infrastructure for electric vehicles across the country. Internationally, Siemens has been one of the key players in developing solutions and charging infrastructure products for electric vehicles. Therefore, we are pleased that they have opted for BMW i3s to reach their sustainability goals,” says Abbott.

Sabine Dall’ Omo, CEO of Siemens Southern and Eastern Africa, explains that the two vehicles can be used by Siemens employees to do customers visits in the Gauteng region, and will act as a visual showcase of Siemens commitment to sustainability. However, the vehicles will form the basis for a much bigger goal.

“Siemens aims to be the world's first major industrial company to achieve a net-zero carbon footprint by 2030. The company plans to cut its carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions – which currently total about 2.2 million metric tons a year – in half by as early as 2020. To achieve these goals, Siemens will invest some €100 million over the next three years in order to reduce the energy footprint of its production facilities and buildings.

“To reduce its CO2 emissions over the long term, the company will also apply three additional levers. First, we will use distributed energy systems at our production facilities and office buildings to optimize energy costs. Second, we will systematically employ low-emission vehicles and e-mobility concepts in our global car fleet. And third, we will move toward a clean power mix by increasingly tapping sources of energy ‒ such as natural gas and wind power ‒ that emit little or no CO2, ,” explains Dall’ Omo.

The BMW i3 is the BMW Group’s first volume-produced model driven purely by electric power and introduces a new era of mobility for urban dwellers looking for alternative mobility solutions. Since the global market launch, more than 80% of BMW i3 customers worldwide are new BMW customers.

In the listings of the most popular electric vehicle (EV) models in 2015, the BMW i3 occupies third place worldwide. It is the world’s first premium car conceived from the outset to incorporate an all-electric drive system. A crucial element within the success story of the BMW i3 has been that it is the only EV worldwide with an optional REX.

In its mission to deliver driving pleasure in urban areas, the BMW i3 has come up with the perfect package. The BMW i3 REX features a 650cc two-cylinder petrol engine with an output of 28kW (electric motor: 125kW), which maintains a minimum charge level and boasts a range of up to 300 kilometres.

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BMW Group South Africa Corporate Communications:

Thando Pato

Manager: Product Communications (MINI, BMW i and BMW Motorrad)

BMW Group South Africa (Pty) Ltd

Tel: +27-12-522-2070

Mobile: +27-71-666-2070

Email: thando.pato@bmw.co.za

Media websites:

Global: www.press.bmwgroup.com

South Africa: www.press.bmwgroup.com/south-africa

The BMW Group

With its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of cars and motorcycles and provider of premium financing and mobility services. It operates internationally with 30 production and assembly plants in 14 countries and a global sales network represented in more than 140 countries.

During the financial year 2015, the BMW Group sold approximately 2.247 million cars and some 137,000 motorcycles worldwide. Group profit before tax reached € 9.22 billion on revenues totalling € 92.18 billion € 92.18 billion. At 31 December 2015, the BMW Group had a workforce of 122,244 employees.

Long-term thinking and responsible action have long been the foundation of the BMW Group’s success. Ecological and social sustainability along the entire value-added chain, full responsibility for our products and an unequivocal commitment to preserving resources are prime objectives firmly embedded in our corporate strategy.

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