Bayerische Motoren Werke AG

Type	Aktiengesellschaft
Traded as	FWB: BMW
Industry	Automotive
Predecessor(s)	Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG (BFW)[1]
Founded	7 March 1916
Founder(s)	Franz Josef Popp
Headquarters	Munich, Germany
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Norbert Reithofer (CEO) Joachim Milberg (Chairman of the supervisory board) Adrian van Hooydonk (Vice-President) Karim Habib (Director of Design)
Products	Automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles
Production output	1,861,826 Automobiles (2012) 125,284 Motorcycles (2012)
Revenue	€76.84 billion (2012)[2]
Operating income	€8.30 billion (2012)[2]
Profit	€5.12 billion (2012)[2]
Total assets	€131.85 billion (2012)[2]
Total equity	€30.40 billion (2012)[2]
Employees	105,876 (2012)[2]
Divisions	Mini BMW Motorsport BMW i BMW Motorrad
Subsidiaries	List[show]
Website	bmwgroup.com

Bayerische Motoren Werke AG ( pronunciation (help·info); English: Bavarian Motor Works), commonly known as BMW or BMW AG, is a German automobile, motorcycle and engine manufacturing company founded in 1916.

BMW is headquartered in Munich, Bavaria, Germany. It also owns and produces Minicars, and is the parent company of Rolls-Royce Motor Cars. BMW produces motorcycles under BMW Motorrad. In 2010, the BMW group produced 1,481,253 automobiles and 112,271 motorcycles across all its brands. BMW is part of the “German Big 3” luxury automakers, along with Audi and Mercedes-Benz, which are the three best-selling luxury automakers in the world.

2012 was the most successful year in the history of the BMW brand. The brand topped US luxury auto sales for the year, and increased car sales 40 percent in the Chinese market. Sustainability and urban mobility are a huge focus for the brand, which is evident in the upcoming launch of the BMW i3and i8 models. Mobile apps are supporting its vision for urban mobility, including Chargepoint, which shares information on electric vehicle charging stations. Its flagship London showroom for its i series of electric and hybrid vehicles, located on the city’s exclusive Park Lane, underlines how BMW is positioning its new range at the premium end of the market. BMW projects that the US and China will be its largest markets for electric vehicle sales, followed by Europe. Much depends, however, on how quickly China’s government can provide an infrastructure for EVs. BMW enjoyed a halo effect from sponsoring the London 2012 Summer Olympic Games, paving the way for its 2013 “Designed for Driving Pleasure” campaign. BMW’s 360-degree Olympics platform included providing vehicles and bicycles, first-time sponsorship of Team USA, and an on-site brand pavilion—a significant commitment that helped lead to the brand’s biggest year to date. As pure driving pleasure and car ownership become less of a demand driver, BMW must meet consumers’ evolving needs while fending off traditional competitors and new entrants such as Tesla.