BMW Group’s pursuit of joyful perfection and customer satisfaction continues unabated in 2019 across Thailand and worldwide markets. The international recognition was proven by numerous successes in public surveys and expert rankings in various countries ranging from the US “Car and Driver” magazine, the British “What Car?”, to the Japanese “Automotive Researchers' and Journalists' Conference”, with the new BMW 3 Series as one of the most frequently chosen prize winners. Numerous awards also went to BMW’s leading innovations, such as driver assistance systems, operations and networking, underlining its strong position as a leading innovative force in the global automotive industry.

Locally, BMW Group Thailand has also taken memorable experiences beyond the automotive aspect and immersed itself in consumers’ changing lifestyles in the digital world. For the second consecutive year, BMW has been selected by the Thai consumers as “Thailand’s Most Admired Company 2019” in the automotive category by the BrandAge magazine with top scores in innovation, business performance, management and social responsibility. This has yet again underscored BMW’s top-of-mind position among Thai consumers, reflecting its achievements in all aspects – from unique brand identity to new automotive innovations and customer-centric marketing strategies.

In 2019, BMW once again added to the brand’s driving pleasure with the market launch of driving innovations highlighted by the debut of BMW Intelligent Personal Assistant – an intelligent, digital character that responds to the prompt “Hey BMW”, followed by the launch of MINI Connected, offering more integrated connectivity and personalized suite of services. All three brands under the Group are also catering more to the increasingly-digital lifestyles of today’s customers with the simple, stress-free experience of online sales, enabling customers to reserve their vehicle with attractive offers in just a few clicks before sitting back and waiting for contact from their dealer of choice. Starting off by MINI Thailand in 2018, the digital option has also been introduced by BMW Thailand last year for the pre-reservations of the new BMW X3 M, BMW X4 M, BMW i3s and BMW M5. BMW Motorrad Thailand followed suit with online sales of the BMW R nineT /5, which also marked the 50th anniversary of the original BMW Motorrad legend.

Another historic milestone that marked a major leap of the Group, and especially BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand, towards the future of e-mobility last year was the inauguration of a local high-voltage battery production plant in partnership with the DRÄXLMAIER Group in WHA Chonburi Industrial Estate 2. This enables the company to better respond to growing domestic demand for electrified vehicles in Thailand as it strengthens the capabilities of Plant Rayong in fulfilling the country’s mission of sustainable mobility. This electrifying landmark moment was continuously built upon with the introductions of all-electric vehicles
to the Thai market – starting with the BMW i3s with its sporty and emission-free driving to the MINI Cooper SE – the first-ever MINI with a purely electric drivetrain. BMW Group Thailand has also continued its support for Thailand’s growing network of vehicle charging infrastructure, provided by ChargeNow and charging points at BMW and MINI authorized network, with over 125 chargers at 59 locations in total nationwide.

On the global level, the BMW Group stands strong as a leader in e-mobility and has reached another electromobility milestone with half a million electrified cars delivered to customers worldwide. With new electric vehicles, such as the MINI Cooper SE, joining the electrified lineup, the goal is to have one million electrified vehicles on the roads within two years. By offering a variety of engines ranging from highly efficient combustion engines to modern plugin-hybrids and pure electric drivetrains for customers to choose from, the BMW Group can meet customers’ varied need in different markets while moving closer to an electrified and sustainable future.

In Thailand, BMW Group Thailand weathered domestic and global economic headwinds and emerged with a stable overall performance, recording 12,954 BMW and MINI deliveries in 2019 – a slight 1% dip from the previous year but still an improvement on the overall market, which saw passenger car and premium car sales record slightly steeper declines over the same period.

BMW closed 2019 with 11,750 deliveries with an overall performance that was on par with the premium car segment. Regardless, the year still saw BMW make significant headway in the high-end luxury segment with sales volume of the BMW 7 Series, BMW 8 Series, BMW X7, and BMW i8 rising collectively by +39% year-on-year. BMW Premium Selection certified used car program, on the other hand, also grew by +16% year-on-year.

MINI, meanwhile, enjoyed a landmark year with 1,204 deliveries, up 15% from the previous year and recording the highest growth rate of any MINI market worldwide.

“Both BMW and MINI are primed for further success in 2020 thanks to a forward-looking strategy that achieved remarkable results. The arrival of the BMW X7, for example, opened up unprecedented growth opportunities in the luxury SAV segment, while the new BMW 7 Series’ January debut signifies continued momentum in its segment as well. MINI had a thoroughly excellent 60th anniversary last year, and the launch of the MINI Cooper SE represents our intention to drive MINI ever forward into the future of mobility without leaving behind the iconic character of the brand,” added Mr. Baraka.

Globally, BMW Group reported its ninth consecutive record year in 2019 with a total of 2,520,307 BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce vehicles delivered to customers around the world – up 1.2% from the previous year. This sustained momentum has driven BMW and BMW Motorrad sales worldwide to reach new all-time highs, while growth across electrified offerings from BMW and MINI saw the year finish with half a million electrified BMW Group vehicles on the road.

With new models raising the total number of electrified vehicles in the BMW Group line-up to 12, total sales of electrified BMW and MINI vehicles grew by 2.2% to 145,815 cars. The BMW Group plans to expand its global range of electrified vehicles to cover 25 models by 2023 – more than half of them fully electric.

Mr. Björn Antonsson, Chief Executive Officer, BMW Financial Services Thailand said, “Customer experience has always been our focal point. We’ve always done our best to secure the trust of our prospective customers, and we strive to deliver total peace of mind to BMW owners taking advantage of our offerings. In 2019, we extended our BMW Premium Selection offers to include BMW certified used cars with warranty from Allianz Group. This has strengthened our commitment in offering customers a premium experience by making BMW cars more accessible to prospective customers, bringing BMW to the top of mind as the best pick in terms of value, quality and service in the used car market. As a result, we are pleased to see that our total portfolio has reached a new high of 50 billion baht in value, an increase of over 7% year-on-year.”

“2019 was also a very successful year for us from a digital point of view. We launched our official LINE account and now having over 500 thousands friends with access to a wide range of financial products. At the same time, we’ve also integrated LINE live chat with our BMW Call Center thus creating a seamless customer experience across the touchpoints and platforms. In addition we are launching a 4-digit telephone number 1397 in order to make it even easier to get in touch with our call center via telephone” Mr. Antonsson concluded.

With sights set firmly on driving sustainable growth, the BMW Group has strengthened the potential of the global BMW production network by optimizing the use of capabilities and resources of its 31 production and assembly sites in 15 countries across the world. This also allows the BMW Group to adhere to its industry-leading sustainability principles in every aspect of its operations – from making the absolute best use of resources to minimizing its environmental footprint. As a result, the BMW Group has seen the average level of CO2 emission per vehicle reduced by 39% over the past five years as part as a major push for sustainable mobility on a global scale.

In addition to environmental sustainability, the BMW Group also places great importance on greater workforce sustainability through diversity. By creating a workforce that embraces the values of tolerance, mutual respect, and equal opportunities, the company is able to secure, retain, and inspire talent to reach new heights under a shared ambition to delight customers everywhere. BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand’s significant drive for greater female representation in the workforce has increased the percentage of female staff in the Plant Rayong assembly lines to 19% for BMW Motorrad and 7% for BMW, while Khun Witchaya Sathapongpakdee has taken up a key management position as the Head of Assembly for BMW Motorrad.

Mr. Uwe Quaas, Managing Director, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand, said, “2020 marks the 20th anniversary of BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand’s craftsmanship in Thailand. Our initiatives in sustainability and diversity further underline the exceptional capabilities of Plant Rayong, which has come to be regarded as one of the most efficient and versatile assembly facilities in our global network. With the addition of two variants of the new BMW 3 Series to our local assembly line-up, we now oversee assembly of 15 models across the BMW and BMW Motorrad brands, and the huge strides we made in 2019 with the opening of the high-voltage battery production facility can only be a sign of exciting things to come. Our achievements last year were also marked by the assembly of over 155,000 units in Plant Rayong since the inauguration of the Plant, more than 52,000 of which were exported to 5 countries in the region. In addition to our business achievements, we also put a lot of effort in reducing the carbon footprint by installing 4,000 square meters of solar panels at Plant Rayong to lay a sustainable solid foundation towards clean energy throughout the value chain.

“Our pride also rests in the BMW Dual Excellence Program through which we have been helping to strengthen the potential of higher vocational students in Mechatronics. 35% of the students from this program have started their careers with the plant, 27% of which are female students. This further emphasizes our commitment in driving forward the economy by creating a better future for Thai youths as well as our effort in encouraging equality and diversity in the workplace.”

BMW Group’s longstanding commitment to sustainability continues to expand beyond the scope of automotive mobility. The Care4Water initiative, which seeks to uplift quality of life and well-being for people in far-flung communities through improved access to clean water, entered its fifth year in 2019. Working hand-in-hand with American non-profit organization – Waves For Water – BMW Group Thailand and its partners not only provided water filters to the communities, but also guided them on how to assemble, clean and maintain the water filtration systems to their best use, making the initiative truly sustainable. Since 2015, BMW Group Thailand and its partners provided over 6,201 water filtration systems to more than 74 communities nationwide, giving as many as 620,100 community members simpler access to clean water.

In dedication to the betterment of society through education as well as the advancement of Thailand’s automotive industry, BMW Group Thailand and its dealer network continue to oversee the BMW Service Apprentice Program, which has been providing theoretical and practical training to vocational students as part of the German-Thai Dual Excellence Education program (GTDEE) for the seventh consecutive year. Since 2012, 106 young technicians have successfully completed the program as they seek to grow Thailand’s stature as a major automotive production hub. In addition, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand has also provided the Dual Excellence in Education program in Machatronics since 2015, and able to see 62 students successfully completed the program as of now.

The BMW Group

With its four brands BMW, MINI, Rolls-Royce and BMW Motorrad, the BMW Group is the world’s leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles and also provides premium financial and mobility services. The BMW Group production network comprises 31 production and assembly facilities in 15 countries; the company has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2018, the BMW Group sold over 2,490,000 passenger vehicles and more than 165,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax in the financial year 2017 was € 10.655 billion on revenues amounting to € 98.678 billion. As of 31 December 2017, the BMW Group had a workforce of 129,932 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been based on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy.

BMW Group Thailand

BMW Group Thailand, a subsidiary of BMW AG, Germany, was established on the 3rd October 1998. The three entities of BMW Group Thailand are BMW (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for wholesales & marketing of BMW Group products, BMW Manufacturing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for BMW and BMW Motorrad local production, and BMW Leasing (Thailand) Co., Ltd. with responsibility for financial services offerings to both wholesale and retail customers.

In 2018, BMW Group Thailand reached new all-time highs with 12,036 BMW deliveries, representing a 20% increase year-on-year and the highest growth rate across BMW’s global networks for the second consecutive year. The sales of BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles (PHEV) also achieved a record-high growth rate of 122% in Thailand over the past year. While MINI and BMW Motorrad also achieved the new record in sales with 1,051 vehicles MINI deliveries (growing sales by 4% year-on-year) and 2,154 BMW Motorcycles deliveries (growing sales by 8% year-on-year).

On the production side, the BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand plant was founded on BMW Group’s strong belief in the growth potential of Asian markets and Thailand in particular with its unique location, strong manufacturing base, and ready supply of skilled automotive labor, being an automotive hub for ASEAN. On-going investment has been put into the expansion of plant Rayong in terms of assembling processes, aiming to meet growing customer demand. In addition, with approximately 4 billion Thai Baht representing the amount of annual purchasing in Thailand, the BMW Global Purchasing office has been established in Thailand. This is to source various components from local suppliers in Thailand and the broader ASEAN region, in order to supply the entire BMW production network of 31 production and assembly facilities, located in 15 countries worldwide.

BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand produces the following 14 models: BMW 3 Series Gran Turismo, BMW 5 Series, BMW 7 Series, BMW X1, BMW X3 and BMW X5. For BMW Motorrad, the BMW F 750 GS, BMW F 850 GS, BMW F 850 GS Adventure, BMW R 1250 GS, BMW R 1250 GS Adventure, BMW S 1000 R, BMW S 1000 RR and BMW S 1000 XR are also locally assembled at the plant. In addition, BMW Group Manufacturing Thailand now assembles two BMW plug-in hybrid models; BMW 530e and BMW X5 xDrive45e.

For further information, please contact:
BMW Group Thailand
1-800-269-269
www.bmw.co.th
www.mini.co.th
www.bmw-motorrad.co.th

Media Contacts:
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Thornthawat Thongnab (08-3225-4567 or 0-2627-3501 ext.206)
Pichanan Toonkamthornchai (08-5157-7557 or 0-2627-3501 ext.101)
sboonsaeng@carlbyoir.com, tthongnab@carlbyoir.com, ptoonkamthornchai@carlbyoir.com