Many people rushed to criticize BMW for engineering EVs on the same platform as its cars with combustion engines. Ok, some compromises had to be made compared to having a dedicated architecture for zero-emission models. But even so, the strategy is paying off since sales numbers don’t lie. That gives the German luxury brand more time and money to invest in bespoke underpinnings – Neue Klasse.
Through September 2024, BMW delivered 266,151 cars that didn’t have a combustion engine. It’s a massive increase of 22.6% compared to the first nine months of last year. We’re learning the iX1 and i4 did the heavy lifting but let’s keep in mind the company has never had such a diverse EV lineup. There’s now a long-wheelbase iX1 for China, along with a first-ever iX2. Of course, we shouldn’t omit the i5 in both sedan and wagon flavors.
The growth is notable when you consider the major setback BMW has suffered this year. We’re talking about the problems it’s been having with the Integrated Braking System (IBS) on some 1.5 million cars. Of those, approximately 320,000 haven’t been delivered. It’s unclear how many are EVs but that has certainly negatively impacted sales.
Including MINI, the BMW Group’s EV sales rose by only 19.1% to 294,054 cars. The growth is lower partially because the Oxford-based brand renewed its entire lineup in 2024. When models switch generations, there are almost always slowdowns in production. Lest we forget the new electric three-door hatchback switched factories since it’s now made in China rather than the UK. The electric-only Aceman subcompact crossover is also built in the People’s Republic. However, both EVs will also be produced in the UK from 2026.
On a related note, BMW and MINI sold a combined 409,122 plug-in hybrids and EVs through September 2024. It’s an increase of 6.2% compared to the same period last year. Doing the math, PHEVs accounted for 115,068 of electrified sales. It means EVs were roughly two and a half times more popular than PHEVs in the first nine months of the year.
Source: BMW