Munich, Dec. 30 (BNA): BMW is ending the job cut phase and plans to create 6,000 new jobs next year, Chairman Oliver Zipse told the Münchner Merkur newspaper in an interview published today, Thursday. .
Zipse said the German luxury car maker is on a very good path during the transformation, adding that the company has prepared its factories for e-mobility and expects further growth in sales in 2022, German news agency DPA reported.
“This is why we will increase our workforce by up to 5 per cent next year,” the Automotive CEO said.
BMW currently employs about 120,000 people after cutting about 6,000 jobs since 2020.
Zipse identified the high demand for new electric models as the reason for the growing need for employees.
“Our i4 has been on sale for months, and so has the iX,” he said. “Next year, the electric 7 Series is coming, and it won’t be any different.”
A BMW spokesperson said the new jobs will be created primarily in Germany. The i4 is built in Munich, and the iX SUV is in Dingolfing.
The automaker is looking for experts in battery research, automated driving, software development and IT security, as well as IT engineers for databases and cloud systems and application developers for entertainment and information. In production, personnel for electrical maintenance and plant management are also being sought.
One factor threatening to put brakes on demand is the lack of charging points for e-cars, according to Zipse.
“In Europe, the number of electric cars is currently growing five times faster than infrastructure,” he told the newspaper.
This is one of the reasons why he was staunchly opposed to a ban on vehicles with combustion engines. “This would inevitably lead Germany’s largest industry to a shrinking scenario,” he warned.
Zipse advocated linking carbon dioxide reduction targets with binding targets for shipping infrastructure.
Another challenge is the current global shortage of semiconductor chips, although Zipse believes this will be over within a year, given the ongoing investment in the field.
“I expect we will see a pretty normal situation by the end of next year,” said the BMW president.
MI