MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - BMW wants to sell more than half a million electric cars next year for the first time. "That would once again be significant double-digit growth," CEO Oliver Zipse told the news magazine "Focus". In the first nine months of this year, the Munich-based car manufacturer delivered 247,000 fully electric vehicles worldwide.

The BMW boss considers the EU's planned ban on petrol and diesel cars in 2035 to be a mistake. The consequence would initially be higher CO2 emissions: "If new, more efficient engines are banned, people will just drive their old cars for longer," said Zipse. "And if I put all my technological eggs in one basket, prices on the market will rise accordingly. A hard landing like that is in nobody's interest."

Furthermore, electricity from coal and gas is not sustainable. Nobody knows "if and when exactly we can secure the supply with renewable energy", said Zipse. "The situation becomes critical when there are bans but no sustainable alternative solutions." Millions of combustion engines will still be on the road in 2035 anyway. In order for them to run on clean fuel, openness to technology is necessary./rol/DP/jha