BMW’s first electric model continues to be a success story worldwide. According to a statement issued today by the former BMW CEO Harald Krueger, the sales of the BMW i3 have climbed 21 percent in the first half of 2019, worldwide. In Germany alone, sales of the fully electric BMW i3 surged 85 percent. The BMW i3 has been expanding its sales for the sixth year in a row since its market launch in 2013.
The best-selling PHEV model in the BMW Group in Germany is the BMW 225xe Active Tourer, with sales up 55 percent year-on-year, followed by the BMW 530e, which was able to double its sales year-on-year. Together with the MINI Cooper SE Countryman ALL4 (+81 percent on the previous year).
Overall, BMW sold over 10,000 electrified vehicles in the first six months of 2019. That is around 60 percent more than in the same period last year. Three of the five top-selling plug-in hybrids in Germany are from the BMW Group.
The story of the BMW i3 will continue for at least a couple of years, but it still remains to be seen whether a successor will be put in place. One thing is certain though: if a new i3 will be built, it’s shape and dimensions will be different than the model we know today.
The latest update to the i3 came in early 2019 when BMW updated the battery from 94Ah to 120Ah, and jumping from 114 miles of range to around 153 miles of range.
