Electric vehicles have been little more than a footnote in the BMW Group’s sales charts over the past decade. It’s safe to say that a lot has changed since the strange i3 hatchback went on sale in 2013. Demand increased due to a rush of products across the group’s three automotive brands. The last five years in particular have been nothing short of spectacular: annual deliveries increased tenfold.
Let’s look at the numbers. The BMW Group sold 44,541 cars without combustion engines in 2020. Last year, BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce delivered 442,072 vehicles that were purely electric. Not surprisingly, the share of electric vehicles in total sales has skyrocketed, rising from 1.9% in 2020 to 18% last year.
This upswing comes immediately before the introduction of what is probably the most important electric BMW to date: the iX3. Early indications suggest that the first modern model of the Neue Klasse will be a commercial success, with demand in Europe already covering the majority of this year’s production. The product range will be further expanded in 2026 with two key models, the i3 and the iX5. Additionally, the i7 is set to receive a “nip and tuck,” complete with an ALPINA twist.
Another interesting statistic arises when you include plug-in hybrids. In 2020, the combined share of PHEVs and EVs in total sales was just 8.3%. Last year that figure rose to 26% after the BMW Group sold 642,087 vehicles that combined an internal combustion engine with an electric motor. In other words: more than one in four cars sold was electrified.
It is noteworthy that BMW is the only brand in the group that still offers plug-in hybrids. With the current generation of the crossover, MINI is doing away with the Countryman PHEV. Rolls-Royce has never offered one and is unlikely to do so. For the British brand, it’s V12 or electric and nothing in between.
Looking ahead, the BMW Group aims for electric vehicles to account for half of its annual sales by 2030. To support this goal, the i3 and iX5 will be followed by several other electric vehicles. While the i3 Touring, iX4 and iX6 have not yet been officially announced, they are expected to be introduced in the next few years.
More importantly from a volume perspective, the i1 hatchback and i2 sedan are reportedly set to launch towards the end of the decade. As soon as MINI models also benefit from the know-how of the new class and possibly switch to rear-wheel drive, demand for the cheaper electric vehicles is likely to accelerate even further.
