BMW will create up to 6,000 new jobs next year, CEO says

BERLIN -- BMW plans to create up to 6,000 new jobs next year to prepare for growing demand for its electric vehicles, the carmaker's CEO told German daily Muenchner Merkur.

BMW is on a very good path through the transformation and has its plants prepared for e-mobility, Oliver Zipse was quoted as saying in an interview published Wednesday. "That is why we will increase our workforce by up to 5 percent next year."

BMW has so far sold more than one million electrified vehicles -- including pure electric and hybrid vehicles -- and plans to reach two million sales of pure electric vehicles by 2025.

Given ongoing investments by semiconductor manufacturers, the semiconductor shortage should be over in a year, the CEO said. "I expect that by the end of next year we will see a largely normal situation."

Zipse said demand for EVs was very high. "Our i4 is sold out for months, as is the iX." The i4 is an electric compact executive car and the iX is an electric midsize luxury crossover. Next year, BMW plans to introduce an electric version of its luxury sedan 7 series. "It won't be any different there," Zipse said.

The carmaker aims for at least 50 percent of global sales to be fully electric by 2030, but has warned that a lack of charging infrastructure was a major barrier to quicker consumer uptake of electric vehicles.