BMW sells less cars but more EVs in third quarter 2024

The BMW Group increased its deliveries of all-electric vehicles in the third quarter by 10.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Across all BMW brands, the manufacturer delivered a total of 103,440 electric vehicles.

In total, for the first nine months of 2024, BMW Group delivered 1,754,158 units, 4.5% less than the year. “This downward trend can be partly attributed to delivery stops associated with the supplied Integrated Braking System (IBS), which significantly impacted the third quarter, as well as the difficult market environment in China,” the official press release explains. “In light of this development, on 10 Sept. 2024, BMW AG revised its sales targets for the financial year 2024.”

Six-digit EV deliveries

It is the second consecutive quarter in which the BMW Group has achieved six-digit BEV deliveries. The Munich-based company already delivered 107,933 all-electric vehicles in Q2/2024, slightly more than from the beginning of July to the end of September.

However, after record figures at the end of 2023 (when there were still EV government premiums in Germany) and in Q2/2024, the 103,440 BEVs still represent the third-best quarterly result in terms of electric deliveries for the BMW Group.

While BEV deliveries increased by the aforementioned 10.1 per cent year-on-year, the increase for the BMW Group’s ‘electrified’ vehicles (BEV and PHEV) was only 0.1%. Of the 140,065 ‘electrified’ vehicles, plug-in hybrids accounted for 36,625 units. The trend is similar for the current year. In the first three quarters, the BMW Group increased BEV deliveries by 19.1% to 294,054 vehicles. At 6.2% (to 409,122 units), ‘electrified’ vehicles have grown significantly less, meaning plug-in hybrids have lost around 17 %. Of the 294,054 electric cars already sold this year, 266,151 bore the BMW logo (+22.6%).

In the case of electric models, the press release points to the positive sales trend, with BMW emphasising the iX1 and i4, but without providing specific figures for these models.

At Mini, the complete renewal of the product portfolio, which began at the IAA 2023 with the premiere of the new, electric Cooper and the Countryman as a BEV version, is in full swing. In the third quarter, the brand again recorded a delivery increase of 54.3%, with 16,536 electric cars delivered.

“Our fully-electric vehicles are winning over customers worldwide, as shown by the significant double-digit growth in our BEV sales during the first nine months of the year,” said Jochen Goller, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG responsible for Customer, Brands, Sales.

“We also grew our sales in the Europe region. Our attractive model line-up, which is designed for technology openness, gained traction in the marketplace, despite the challenging conditions overall. The BMW brand captured market share in Europe and significantly outperformed the region’s total market.”

All other drive types down

All this means that BMW’s electric sales have developed differently from sales of combustion engines. Despite the 10% increase in electric cars, BMW Group sales fell by 13% to 540,882 units in the third quarter.

The BMW brand was down 11.4% (487,062 vehicles), while Mini was even 25.2% down on the previous year (52,669 units). Rolls-Royce (-16.2%) and BMW Motorbikes (-3.2 %) also failed to match their Q3 2023 sales figures.

BMW Skytop

And now for soemthing completely different. The roadster desin study that BMW showed at the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este at the Como lake in Italy this year had such an enthusiastic response that BMW is going to build it in a strictly limited series of 50 units and is already sold out.

The decision was announced by Adrian van Hooydonk, head of BMW Group Design, at an event hosted by the House of BMW in Milan, Italy, where the highly desired design study was again on display. It was also revealed here that all examples of the BMW Skytop reserved for enthusiasts and collectors found their future owners within a very short space of time.

“The BMW Skytop is a truly exotic design and offers a combination of driving dynamics and elegance at the highest level,” said van Hooydonk. “To finally be able to announce that this car will be built is like a dream come true. Thank you for the very positive response around the globe and to the passionate team that worked on the project.”

Just like its legendary roadster ancestor, the Z8, the BMW Skytop takes to the road with the most powerful V8 in the brand’s armoury. The 4.4-litre petrol unit generates maximum output of 460 kW/625 hp and teams up with an eight-speed Steptronic Sport transmission.

“Maximising traction is the BMW xDrive intelligent all-wheel-drive system, which distributes the engine’s power between all four wheels as required, and optimises stability and driving dynamics in any situation. With this drive configuration in place, the handsome two-door will sprint from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in around 3.3 seconds,” boasts the press release.