Jochen Goller, BMW's sales director: "No car manufacturer in China is growing profitably because many of them receive subsidies."

Although European manufacturers (and many others around the world) are at loggerheads with the European Union over the 2035 phase-out of combustion engines , they are persistent in pushing for a moratorium to allow a few more years of transition to electric cars. BMW is one of them , and Jochen Goller, its sales director, emphasizes in a recent interview with Automotive News , that they will continue to maintain combustion engines until customers stop asking for them: “We have always stated that we will maintain our propulsion systems. The reason we are growing [in models] is because we are able to manage this complexity. We will only scale back if we see a change in the market.”

His statement is certainly true, given that BMW never said—like other European brands—that it would be 100% electric at some point. Its position has always been one of technological diversification. In fact, it's one of the few brands still investing in hydrogen cars . But Goller emphasizes, above all, the long life that remains for the combustion engine : "There was a time when everyone believed the combustion engine was dead , and there were many doubts about why we were still investing in it," the Bavarian sales director says.

On the other hand, Jochen Goller affirms that design is paramount when choosing a vehicle : “ Design will continue to be the main reason for purchase . Craftsmanship and materials remain important. But cutting-edge technology is also required . Therefore, premium quality is not limited to a single feature or aspect, but rather a combination of everything,” the German executive states emphatically.

And of course, a few words about China were of course necessary. Without raising his voice too much, as its market is one of the most important for BMW . The executive asserts that virtually all companies lose money in China, but the Bavarian company is one of the exceptions. He also referred to the country's state dumping : "Many state-owned companies receive subsidies, which is why China is growing, but not profitably . No car manufacturer in China is growing profitably," Goller confirms.

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BMW iX3 50 xDrive: WLTP energy consumption combined: 17.9 - 15.1 kWh/100 km; WLTP COâ‚‚ emissions combined: 0 g/km; CO2-class: A pic.twitter.com/tvFzayzYZC