BMW : Speech by the CEO Oliver Zipse (full text)

14 May 2025

- Check against delivery -

Statement Oliver Zipse

Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

105th Annual General Meeting of BMW AG on 14th May 2025 Livestream from the Olympic Hall in Munich

Robust. Dependable. With a clear focus on the future.

The BMW way - for the success of your company.

Company Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft

Postal address

BMW AG

80788 Munich

Telephone

[phone]

Internet https://www.bmwgroup.com

Dear Shareholders!

Our lives are increasingly digital - and, in global business, virtual formats offer many advantages. But, let's not forget - people are not digital. We all still value meeting face to face. We want to look each other in the eye.

That is why it is great to see so many of you here today, in the Olympiahalle. And to everyone joining us remotely: A very warm welcome to you as well!

This is your company's 105th Annual General Meeting!

The heart of BMW beats all over the world. BMW is a global team, united by a strong sense of community. 159,000 people: highly motivated. High-performing. Innovative. Together, we are the BMW Group.

Of course, one could also say: BMW, that's just a DAX-listed company. A reliable employer; at its core, it remains an abstract construct.

But everyone at the company knows that BMW is so much more than that! That is why we stand together. Time and again, we have proven that we seize opportunities, act swiftly and adapt with remarkable flexibility. We learn from the unexpected - which is what truly matters. We then emerge stronger than before - just as we did after the global financial crisis and the Covid pandemic.

We make decisions with a long-term perspective.

This mindset goes back to entrepreneur Herbert Quandt, whose family continues his legacy - much like we do here at BMW.

You, our shareholders, remain by our side in this. You give us entrepreneurial freedom - and that is a privilege we value, especially in turbulent times.

Today, our environment is more dynamic than ever.

We face highly complex challenges, shaped by conflicting priorities and paradoxes. Above all, we are confronted with new geopolitical realities that directly affect our business.

At the same time, our industry is undergoing significant change. The shift towards e-mobility is just one facet of a broader, all-encompassing process - a technology race that culminates in elimination of some players.

When things are uncertain, many stay stuck in "neutral", waiting. Not your company! We are now shifting into "sport mode" -hands on the wheel, eyes on the road. Standing here on stage is the BMW Vision Neue Klasse you are already familiar with. Later on, I'll even show you the first two production models of the NEUE KLASSE. Our vision is becoming reality, as we reach the next milestones for BMW and the entire company.

By anticipating trends in the marketplace early, we consistently manage to make major technological leaps at exactly the right time. We invest proactively in electrification, digitalisation, our production network, our products and the NEUE KLASSE. By 2024, we will have reached the peak of our investment and RGD activities, with expenditure in each area exceeding nine billion euros. This is a peak, not a plateau.

We have invested a considerable amount of money.

In the years ahead, the full impact of these upfront investments will become clear - just as I promised. We are realising our plans for the future with your best interests in mind. You, our shareholders, should benefit from the continuing success of your company, alongside our employees.

That is why we remain firmly committed to our shareholder return strategy: We are proposing a dividend payout of 36.7 percent of our unappropriated profit - which would amount to a total of 2.6 billion euros. If you approve our proposed dividend, this will be our highest-ever payout ratio.

Your company is in a strong position, focused on the future:

We are digitalising our vehicles and leveraging tech clusters and architectures with massive scaling potential. We are utilising artificial intelligence throughout our value chain. Very soon, nearly every process at the company will be supported by AI, making us even faster and more precise - and not just in production and logistics. At your company, efficient cost structures are the standard - you can always count on that.

The automotive industry has been through many upheavals -in response to the rise of industrialisation, technological progress, new processes and evolving markets, as well as changing regulations and societal expectations.

The BMW way is shaped by confidence - because we provide meaningful answers. I would like to show you today how we do that through:

1. Our strategy: which is market-driven and technology-open.

2. Our goals: We met our adjusted targets for 2024 and are targeting growth this year.

3. Our global footprint: a differentiating factor and competitive advantage in a fragmented world.

4. Our future-focused project for tech leadership: BMW is the NEUE KLASSE - and the NEUE KLASSE is BMW.

   Let me begin with my first point: our strategy.

   Technology openness means following the markets - because markets evolve, but not all at the same pace. We took a clear stand on this, even in the face of strong headwinds. Now, the wind has shifted in our direction:

   • "BMW late winner of the drivetrain transition".

   • "How BMW went from laggard to magician".

   • "Germany's true electric-car champion".

These headlines were taken from trade journal "Auto, Motor und Sport"; weekly magazine "Wirtschaftswoche"; and newspaper "Die Welt".

Our models and diverse drivetrain portfolio are also winning awards, including the "Goldene Lenkrad" (Golden Steering Wheel). I accepted three trophies in Berlin - a very special moment.

Our brands and products are being extremely well received. The German Car of the Year award, presented to the 5 Series and i5*, is the first-ever win for a technology-open model series.

While other manufacturers are reversing course or adjusting their strategy, we are on exactly the right track. Even policymakers are starting to come around: The new German federal government supports a broad approach to technology, while the European Commission seeks to make Europe more competitive. The "Green Industrial Deal" finally considers climate protection and the economy "in tandem". That is a good thing.

From e-drives and plug-in hybrids to highly efficient conventional drive technologies: No one masters this level of variety better than your company. As previously announced, we will be adding a production model with a hydrogen drivetrain in 2028. All of this benefits our customers, while, at the same time, making a measurable contribution to climate protection. And, yes, we have the facts and figures to back this up:

In 2024, the BMW Group significantly outperformed its European CO2 fleet target by more than 30 grammes. That is a huge leap forward, which cannot just be taken for granted. Based on internal calculations, our numbers came in at under 100 grams for the first time - at 99.5 grammes per kilometre. The official data will be published by the European Commission at year-end. We are also gearing up to meet the much stricter targets for this year, as you would expect from us.

We take ambitious political goals seriously - but we don't believe in technically one-sided regulations that limit supply. The same principle applies to the circular economy. Here, too, only a comprehensive approach can enable and stimulate investment. Because, as a standalone technology, e-mobility leads down a dead-end street - that much is now clear. The differences are simply too great, even just within Europe.

Belgium, for example, offers incentives: Electric and hybrid models quickly became the most popular new cars, reaching a market share of over 60 percent in 2024. Contrast that with Italy, where electric cars made up only about four percent of total sales last year.

Is that the fault of the products? Certainly not. Is it because of the customers? Definitely not. The all-important question is rather:

How do we effectively cut CO2? Certainly not by thinking in black and white. Supporting one solution does not necessarily mean opposing another. Our approach proves this time and again - and remains effective. We all need to be much more opportunity-driven, guided by entry - not exit - strategies.

Political goals must reflect market realities - and also be viable for businesses. Global investment is already looking ahead to 2030, and especially 2035. That is why the upcoming review of EU targets will be so decisive. It is our chance to improve the system. Europe needs a top-performing automotive and supplier industry. We are fighting for this and pushing back against negative developments.

For our customers, we will remain broadly diversified - and, for you, our shareholders, we are securing the success of your company. We don't want to miss out on any market potential. We will continue to stand firm - but always open to dialogue with decision-makers around the world. We explain the complex mechanisms of our industry, asking: What will the proposed legislation mean in practice? The Board of Management and I are personally engaged in this work.

At your company, we mostly let our actions speak for themselves: Just as I promised you last year - we already have more than 15 all-electric models on the market. Our BMW iX* has been recently updated, so that it now boasts an electric range of up to 701 kilometres in the WLTP cycle. In 2024, battery-electric vehicles - BEVs, for short - were once again key growth drivers for us. By year-end, more than 17 percent of our total sales were fully electric. This is significantly higher than at many other manufacturers. You'll also be pleased to hear that this positive trend accelerated into 2025. In the first quarter, our global BEV sales increased over 30 percent. Europe led the way, with growth of more than 60 percent. The US market was also up by over 20 percent.

If you include both BEVs and plug-in hybrids, more than one in four of our vehicles is now electrified, while nearly one in five is already fully-electric. We are making good progress. We are delivering - and maintaining our credibility.