Briefs | BMW CEO collapses during presentation at auto show

BMW CEO Harald Krueger collapsed yesterday during a news conference at the Frankfurt auto show and was helped off stage by staff. His condition was not serious, the company said later. Krueger stumbled backward and fell on his back during the first five minutes of the presentation of the German auto house’s new lineup. Staff rushed to help Krueger back on his feet, and he rubbed the back of his head, looking stunned as he was lifted up and led off stage by staff. BMW spokesman Maximilian Schoeberl said that 49-year-old Krueger had been recently traveling a lot, and was not feeling well ahead of the presentation but decided to go ahead with it. Schoeberl said Krueger, who took over as BMW’s CEO earlier this year, was seen by a doctor following the incident, who recommended that he cancel his other appointments for the day and rest at home. “His condition is not worrisome, they’ve ruled out anything serious,” Schoeberl said. A round table Krueger was to hold with journalists was instead conducted by the company’s CFO.

Toyota launches hydrogen-fueled sedan

Toyota is taking the next step in its quest for carbon-free travel with the launch of the Mirai hydrogen-fueled sedan. The Japanese brand that pioneered the hybrid gas-electric powertrain sees hydrogen cars as the end-game, following plug-in hybrids and full-electric vehicles. The region’s new CEO, Johan van Zyl, told reporters on the sidelines of the Frankfurt auto show on Monday that “It’s not a question of if, it’s a question of when,” hydrogen technology will go mainstream. Toyota Europe expects sales of between 50 and 100 Mirai’s this year and next, with 47 ordered to date. It is being sold only in Britain, Germany, Denmark and Belgium, where Toyota is working on getting in hydrogen pumping stations with local partners. Toyota Europe sales chief Karl Schlicht said that current customers include governments and companies looking to reduce their carbon emissions. He expects the technology to be affordable for average consumers by 2025. Toyota Europe last year sold 880,000 cars, up 3 percent from a year earlier. Twenty percent of those were hybrids. Schlicht forecasts sales will be down 1-2 percent this year due to the economic slowdown in Russia.