Jim O'Donnell, BMW North America CEO, said in an interview with Autonews that the company's new clean diesels, present in all 50 US states, will be at the center of the development strategy in future years, despite the inevitable rise of the hybrids. In light of the future mileage and emission requirements, BMW will also try to bring diesel engines to other models in its range as well, including a diesel 5 Series in 2010. In all, BMW hopes to achieve 10-20 percent diesel penetration in the US.
BMW was forced to resort to its own sales incentive, as most of its vehicles were not able to meet the criteria to participate in CARS. As a result, the brand sold only 748 vehicles under CARS, a tiny percentage compared to the 24,343 units sold in the US in August.
BMW's own scheme provided the same $4,500 (eco-credit) to be offered to customers who bought two of its diesels: the 335d and the X5 xDrive35d. No figures on how many vehicles were sold under the eco-tax have been announced, but BMW decided to extend its program throughout September.
And the other piece of good news? V8s are here to stay. "I think that in America, the customer wants a V-8. I think there's this innate desire to have a V-8," O'Donnell told the source.
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