Why BMW sells more EVs than Mercedes and Audi combined?

In January, BMW Group announced it continued its growth path in 2024, delivering 426,594 fully electric vehicles to customers and achieving BEV-sales growth of +13.5 %. Now that more figures are available of its all-time competitors at the premium home front, Mercedes and Audi, it’s clear that they sold more EVs than those two combined.

Mercedes-Benz saw its BEV sales tumble nearly 22% during the same period to 204,600 cars. Of all Audi’s sold in 2024, 164,000 were fully electric models, 7.8% less than in 2023. How did BMW manage to do this?

Equal in quality

One would expect that all three German premium carmakers are equal in quality regarding the EVs they bring to market. So, what makes BMW stand out? According to experts from J.D. Power, one of the main differentiators is ‘customer education.’

The latest J.D. Power 2025 US Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study revealed a marked increase in EV owner satisfaction, with BMW emerging as the undisputed leader in the premium segment.

The three German carmakers were well represented in the study’s premium BEV segment sample, with the i4 for BMW, i5, i7, and iX, the EQB, EQE, and EQS (both sedan and SUV for these) for Mercedes, and the e-tron for Audi, along with the e-tron GT, Q4 e-tron, and Audi Q8 e-tron.

The yearly study, now in its fifth year, is conducted in collaboration with PlugShare, a leading EV driver app maker and research firm. That operates the world’s most extensive EV driver survey research panel, PlugInsights, now with over 150,000 members.

BMW iX and i4 on top

The BMW iX ranks highest overall and in the premium BEV segment, with a score of 790. The BMW i4 (783) ranks second, and the Rivian R1S (770) ranks third. The Hyundai IONIQ 6 ranks highest in the mass market segment, scoring 751. The Kia EV6 (743) ranks second, and the Chevrolet Equinox EV (737) ranks third.

One remarkable conclusion was that, as J.D.Power found, owners of mass-market BEVs once again experienced fewer problems than owners of premium BEVs. Seven of the top 10 BEV models with the fewest reported issues in the study are in the mass-market segment.

Front-line eductors

However, according to J.D. Power, one of the key findings in this 2025 study that matters most is “the opportunity to improve BEV ownership experience via customer education.”

“Dealer and manufacturer representatives play the crucial role of front-line educators, but when it comes to EVs, the specific education needed to shorten the learning curve just isn’t happening often enough,” says Brent Gruber, executive director of the EV practice at J.D. Power. The shortfall in buyer education is something we’re seeing with all brands.”

In this year’s study, owners were asked if their dealership or manufacturer staff provided any specific education or training on aspects of EV ownership during the purchase process. It turned out that 69% of first-time BEV buyers received education or training when buying their vehicle.

“However, when it comes to the specific education topics needed to optimize the ownership experience, the range goes from a high of 46% of first-time buyers who received education on how specific features work to a low of 12% who were provided with education for the total cost to own an EV.”

That is needed to fight the common prejudices primarily heard by people hesitating to go electric, like the high initial purchase price, range-anxiety issues, or the understanding of the real Cost of Ownership of a car, where all cost parameters over its lifetime are considered.

Top of its class

BMW showed itself at the top of its class in this, as it has a ‘Genius’ program that provides “knowledgeable, dynamic and tech-savvy BMW product experts who will assist you with finding a vehicle that is perfectly suited to your needs,” according to their own website.

The study shows that BMW dealers fully explain these things as part of their standard delivery practice through the company’s Genius program, at least in markets like the US. But it showed itself an innovator in handing out tools for its customers to compare.

In Europe, BMW has enhanced its brand apps, My BMW and MINI App, with a new Electric Vehicle Analysis function allowing customers who drive a BMW with a combustion engine to simulate how well an all-electric BMW would suit their driving profile. In other words, accurate data to cure its petrol heads’ range anxiety.

Comparing with ICE models

The setup is quite simple. The customer selects an electric BMW model as an alternative vehicle in the app next to the current ICE model he is driving. After doing at least 200 trips and 2,000 kilometers, the analysis shows the number of journeys that could have been completed with the selected electric vehicle at a single charge.

Along with the Electric Vehicle Analysis, BMW has worked on improved route planning for electric vehicles with options like avoiding highways, ferries, or toll roads and the possibility of adding individual charging stops. The app also shows facilities near charging stations, such as restaurants, cafés, banks, and supermarkets, complete with detailed information.