BMW Group, encompassing both BMW and Mini brands, has disclosed its vehicle sales figures for the first quarter of 2024 in the United States, exhibiting a noteworthy upswing of 1.2% compared to the previous year. This overall growth trajectory has been buoyed by a substantial surge in all-electric car sales.
During Q1, BMW’s battery electric vehicle (EV) sales in the U.S. soared to 10,713 units, marking an impressive 63% surge from the corresponding period last year. Notably, the EV segment’s share of the brand’s total volume saw a significant uptick, climbing to 12.7% from 8.0% in Q1 2023.
The array of BMW’s EV offerings includes the i4, i5, i7, and iX models. Of these, the iX emerged as a notable performer with sales reaching 2,945 units, leaving 7,768 units accounted for by other EV models within the brand’s lineup.
It’s worth mentioning that BMW opts not to delineate individual sales figures for the remaining EV models, as they are amalgamated with their internal-combustion engine counterparts (namely, the 4 Series, 5 Series, and 7 Series). An intriguing exception to this amalgamation is the retired i3, which curiously registered a solitary sale in Q1.
Regrettably, specific sales data for the Mini brand remains undisclosed at this time.
For context, in 2023, BMW brand’s U.S. sales surpassed 45,000 units of fully electric vehicles, marking a nearly threefold increase from the preceding year. This accounted for 12.5% of the brand’s total volume.
As for plug-in hybrid sales, details were not provided for Q1 2024. However, BMW offers an array of PHEVs, including the X5 xDrive50e, BMW 330e, BMW 750e, and BMW XM, with the new 550e slated to enter showrooms later this year.
Looking ahead, the focal question revolves around BMW’s ability to sustain the momentum of EV sales growth in 2024. With the era of triple-digit growth rates, fueled by the modest base of 2022, now in the rearview mirror, the brand faces the challenge of maintaining its upward trajectory amidst a changing automotive landscape.
