The chief executive of Alpina says its customers aren’t interested in electric vehicles.
During a recent interview with Bimmer Today, Alpina boss Andreas Bovensiepen said that EVs present a number of issues for its clientele.
“Three quarters of a year ago we carried out a customer survey on the subject of hybrids and BEVs. Our customers currently feel no demand for battery-electric models. This is also due to the high mileage: ALPINA customers want to drive fast and accelerate strongly, especially in Germany – then, of course, the range is still an issue.”
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Bovensiepen added that many Alpina customers use their vehicles on a daily basis and often drive 30,000 km to 50,000 km (18,600 – 31,000 miles) every year. In addition, Bovensiepen told Bimmer Today that if the automaker transferred the performance from one of its V8 models into an EV, it would probably have a maximum range of just 200 km (124 miles).
However, this doesn’t mean Alpina won’t entertain the idea of an all-electric vehicle at some stage. Bovensiepen revealed that the company has negotiated its own CO2 emission limits with the EU Commission and if the XB7 continues to sell well across the continent, it could struggle to meet its emissions cap.
“Then we may have to offer a hybrid or a battery-electric vehicle in the medium term,” he said. “But we’re well-positioned there at the moment. Sure: We are looking closely at the demand for the BMW i4 and iX3. With the BMW iX we are not sure.”
