The German automotive company BMW began production of the Series 2 Coupé on Thursday, the first model designed and manufactured entirely at its plant in Mexico, A commitment to the country amid global uncertainty over the shortage of tickets.
“With the launch of this event we have established San Luis (Potosí) as a strong plant in the network (BMW’s global). I can only say that we are ready for more,” said Harald Göttsche, president and director of the BMW plant in the state of San Luis Potosí.
The model -that will be exported to more than 37 countries– strengthens the company’s presence in Mexico, where its only plant in Latin America has produced 170 thousand vehicles of the BMW 3 Series since 2019 and already represents 3% of the group’s overall production, As explained by Milan Nedeljkovic, member of the global board of BMW and in charge of production.
“It is the first vehicle that is exclusively produced here in Mexico. It is something that shows how important this plant is to us,” Nedeljkovic explained when presenting the production, the start-up investment was $ 125 million.
Recovery speeds
The manufacture of the car begins in the middle of the increase greater than 16% year-on-year in vehicle sales in Mexico, which amounted to more than 680 thousand units until August, as revealed this Thursday by the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (Inegi).
In addition, exports rose by 22% year-on-year from January to July to total more than 1.6 million, according to the Inegi, which also records a 20% increase in production in this period, with more than 1.8 million of performances made in Mexico.
“The production of the all-new BMW 2 Series Coupé will support our business strategy by delivering from Mexico to the world a futuristic rear-wheel drive product“What strengthens our portfolio,” said Alexander Wehr, President and CEO of BMW Group Latin America.
Despite the outlook, August sales in Mexico are the lowest for a month this 2021, while July exports have also been the lowest, according to Inegi.
BMW executives have acknowledged that the shortage of chips and semiconductors they have created “tension” in the automotive sector, but have ruled out a rise in prices or effects on production.
“We haven’t had to stop for a single day this year,” Göttsche said.
In Latin America, where there is only production in Brazil, BMW leads in 26 of the 27 markets in which the group has a presence, with a market share of the ‘premium’ segment of 35.5% throughout the region, said Wehr.
“Having Mexico, as our ‘lead market’ in Latin America, one of the most technologically advanced, most flexible and most sustainable production plants, not only in our group, but also in the entire global automotive industry, is one of the key factors for our commercial success in the region, ”he argued.
A BMV with a Mexican engine
The importance of the automotive sector in Mexico lies in what it represents 3.8% of national GDP and 20.5% of manufacturing GDP, More than any other branch, according to the Mexican Automotive Industry Association (AMIA).
The plant of San Luis Potosí, which employs 3,000 people and has invested a total of one thousand 200 million dollars, has 220 local suppliers, to which add 17 with the new BMW 2 Series Coupé, which consists of 4 thousand parts, according to Göttsche.
In addition to being a shipowner and “a global exporter,” the plant now launches its own model with Mexican talent.
“As a Mexican, it is a great satisfaction to know that for the first time in the history of BMW the ‘core’ of this event will be produced by Mexicans and was designed by a Mexican,” said José Casas, the vehicle’s designer. .
BMW executives did not share their production and sales forecasts.
As a reference, the president of BMW Group Latin America noted that Mexico represents 1% of the company’s global sales, a proportion that has increased since the San Luis Potosí plant produces the BMW 3 Series, the model that currently factory.
“It is an important backbone of our business efforts. This model accounts for about 12% of our total sales in Mexico this year and leads its segment, well ahead of the competition,” Wehr said.
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