Hildegard Wortmann, Feng Qingfeng, Ian Callum.

“Tesla did us all a favour. Tesla made electric mobility sexy.”

BMW product manager Hildegard Wortmann says Tesla’s success paved the way for the new drivetrain technology. Before, the automotive industry had simply been unable to convey how much fun electric mobility can be. Still, BMW is not planning to go head to head with Tesla in terms of range for now. It would just not make sense to add the extra battery weight just to be able to reach 500 km on one charge.
handelsblatt.com (in German)

“We will debut a pure EV this year, followed by an HEV in 2016 and a PHEV in 2017. Our hybrid powertrain will firstly launch Class-A models while plug-in electric powertrain will launch all models, including sedan, SUV and MPV, starting the year of 2017.”

Geely president Feng Qingfeng presents more concrete plans as the company looks to electrify 90 percent of its line-up by 2020. One third will be fully electric and the rest hybrids and plug-in hybrids.
gasgoo.com

“I think electric cars are a very exciting prospect, and once the nations and governments get to grips with that, it will become the norm within the next 15 years or less.”

Ian Callum, Director of Design of Jaguar, says electrification is “inevitable” in the future. It is just a matter of time. He is not sure, however, whether switching to electric mobility will solve the world’s climate concerns. After all, cows produce a lot of CO2 as well.
nydailynews.com