BMW’s first-quarter operating profit fell 78 per cent to €589 million, despite higher deliveries of luxury vehicles, as the carmaker took a hit from higher investment spending and a €1.4 billion legal provision.
Last month, the European Commission told German carmakers they face hefty fines for alleged collusion in the area of emissions filtering technology.
BMW’s first-quarter earnings before interest and taxes were below the €666 million forecast in an analyst poll, weighed down by a 36 per cent jump in spending on property, plants and equipment to convert its factories to build electric cars.
To counter rising costs, BMW said it will cut the available engine and gearbox combinations by 50 per cent and seek efficiency savings of more than €12 billion by the end of 2022.
BMW said on Tuesday its automotive division delivered an operating loss in the quarter.
Excluding the impact of the legal provision to cover a potential anti-trust fine, BMW’s automotive division delivered an operating margin of 5.6 per cent in the first quarter, the carmaker said.
By contrast the return on sales at Mercedes-Benz passenger cars fell to 6.1 percent, down from 9 per cent a year earlier and rival Volkswagen said the return on sales for its passenger cars business will be at the lower end of its 6.5 per cent to 7.5 per cent margin target this year.
BMW said it will contest the European Commission’s allegations that its participation in industry working groups amounted to anti-competitive behaviour.
“The participating engineers from the manufacturers’ development departments were concerned with improving exhaust gas treatment technologies. Unlike cartel agreements, the whole industry was aware of these discussions,” the carmaker said.
BMW did not make secret agreements to the detriment of suppliers or its customers, the carmaker added.
