Here’s another of those very few occurrences when we all get to feel like the automotive industry is nothing more than a manufacturing political party.
After previously ending a press conference at the New York Auto Show that focused on the BMW ActiveE on a negative tone, Jim O’Donnel came forward with a public apology on the matter.
Having originally slacked off not just the BMW ActiveE but the electric car as a whole on the basis of his non-belief in its functionality, Mr. O’Donnel’s story changed radically yesterday.
Apart from presenting his apologies, BMW’s CEO now claims that he fully supports efforts to electrify, especially the Bavarian company’s ActiveE and the i range.
It’s obvious nobody would come to this big a change of heart over less then a couple of weeks, so corporate pressures have clearly have been made.
What is particularly interesting is that his negative note wasn’t so bad given the actual facts of the EV ownership experience.
BMW North America CEO Jim O’Donnell simply said that at current range, an electric vehicle won’t suit the needs of some 90% of the population.
Apart from this being completely true, seeing how at the moment the car industry is manufacturing less than 1% of total cars made to be driven on electric power, the remark couldn’t have made any damage.
Be that as it may, it’s not “proper conduct” for the CEO of a company that is going pretty well down the EV road to be in a disagreeing position.
