This millionth EV milestone was reached in just a little over a decade since the launch of the BMW i3.
A little over a decade since the initial launch of its i3, BMW has since recently marked a rather remarkable milestone of delivering its 1 millionth EV. And just as a cherry on top of that achievement, the German automaker has also announced that its fully-electric sales for the first quarter of this year has grown rather significantly too.
In an industry where automakers are scrambling to scale down production estimates for its EVs amid slowing sales, BMW are among the very few legacy players to actually be seeing its fully-electric delivery in recent time. The Group — which includes MINI and Rolls-Royce as well — reported that total sales of its tailpipe-less cars during the first quarter of 2024 stood at 82,700, which represents a 27.9% year-on-year increase from 2023.
Looking more specifically at BMW itself meanwhile, 78,691 fully-electric vehicles were delivered to customers worldwide between January and March, marking an increase of 40.6% compared to the prior year. The i4, iX3, iX1, iX and i7 were stated to be among the brand’s EVs that were particularly in demand, with it receiving positive customer feedback on the newly-released iX2 and i5 too.
Now aside from the significant EV growth, the BMW Group also recorded a significant year-on-year increase in sales of models in the high-end premium segment in the first quarter by some 21.6%. Most notably, the 7 Series saw double-digit growth worldwide in the period from January to March, compared to the previous year.
Rather surprisingly too in addition to its EV growth is for BMW M to once again see its sales to once again increase from the all-time high posted in the first quarter of last year. continued its growth story in the YTD March 2024. With a total of 48,110 vehicles sold, sales were up 3.6% on the same period of the previous year. This strong quarterly result was largely driven by the continuing popularity of the high-performance models like its M2, M3 Sedan, M3 Touring and the XM, as well as the newly launched Performance derivatives like the X1 M35i, M760e, i7 M70 and i5 M60.
“The BMW Group is continuing on its BEV growth path. With the delivery of its one-millionth fully-electric vehicle since the market launch of the BMW i3, we have reached an important milestone that confirms the attractiveness of our product portfolio,” said Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales.
Alongside fully-electric models, vehicles with highly-efficient combustion engines and plug-in hybrid technology remain important components of BMW Group’s drive train portfolio. “By providing a choice of drivetrain technologies and thanks to our high level of flexibility, the BMW Group is well-positioned to meet changing customer requirements. This strategy is now proving particularly effective in a dynamic market environment,” continued Jochen Goller.
Fully-electric vehicles and models from the high-end premium segment are currently expected by the BMW Group be among the main growth drivers in 2024, with expectations to see significant double-digit growth in both these segments this year.
