The growth rate of EV popularity might be slowing down across the automotive industry, but not in BMW’s case. It shipped 179,554 cars without a combustion engine in the first six months of the year. It’s a substantial increase of 34.1% compared to the January-June 2023 period. Once again, the i4 was the firm’s best-selling EV. The fully electric 4 Series Gran Coupe has received a Life Cycle Impulse but production didn’t start until July. It means BMW is gearing up for an even better second half of the year now that the refreshed i4 is out. The German luxury brand doesn’t provide a breakdown of EV sales but it does say the i4 enjoyed a double-digit growth rate compared to the first half of 2023.
Elsewhere, one in every five X1 crossovers sold through June this year was an iX1. The same can be said about the 7 Series since the i7 represented 20% of shipments. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows since the iX suffered a 12.2% decline, with deliveries dropping to 18,582 units. However, the large electric SUV is about to go through an LCI that should (theoretically) boost sales.
As a whole, the Group delivered 190,614 fully electric BMWs, MINIs, and Rolls-Royces in H1 2024. It’s an increase of 24.6% over the same period of last year. EVs now account for 15.7% of total deliveries, a notable improvement over the 12.6% share achieved in the first half of 2023. Taking into account the 78,443 plug-in hybrids sold, electrified vehicles were 22.2% of the total volume. That’s up two percent compared to the previous January-June timeframe.
Not only is the iX getting a mid-cycle update, but the iX2 and i5 Touring have hit the market. That should further help BMW improve its all-electric sales. Elsewhere, the M5 Sedan is now a plug-in hybrid for the first time ever, and so is the M5 Touring debuting this month. The novelties should help the Group bolster sales of electrified vehicles, further fueled by the new MINI family.
Source: BMW
