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BMW’s Core EV Managers Join Chinese Startup
BMW AG has lost four top executives in its electric vehicle program to a Chinese EV startup called Future Mobility Corp., The Wall Street Journal reports.
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BMW AG has lost four top executives in its electric vehicle program to a Chinese EV startup called Future Mobility Corp., The Wall Street Journal reports. The company is backed by Shenzhen-based Tencent Holdings Ltd.
Carsten Breitfeld, who developed BMW’s exotic i8 plug-in hybrid, left in March to become FMC’s chief executive officer. Now three other top managers in BMW’s “i” group are following him, according to the newspaper.
The Journal’s sources say the three EV executives are powertrain specialist Dirk Abendroth, design chief Benoit Jacob and product management head Henrik Wenders. BMW has declined to comment.
BMW began selling it first all-electric vehicle, the i3 city car, in 2013. Last year it added the zoomy i8 plug-in. Combined sales of the two i-Series cars climbed 66% to 29,000 units in 2015, according to the company. BMW has said it won’t add a third model to the i-Series until 2020.
The Journal opines that the company’s slow development pace may make it difficult for BMW to attract or retain young talent.
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