A future powered solely by electricity? BMW Group news and successes
Today, the BMW Group is the world's best-known premium car and motorcycle manufacturer, with 31 divisions in 15 different countries. Sustainability, digitalisation, electrification and production efficiency processes have a major impact on all areas of the BMW Group - production, supply, development, human resources and, of course, sales.
The Group announces that it is moving with the world in terms of innovation and that it does not intend to stop improving the quality of existing cars and developing new, less polluting electric cars.
Today, BMW fans can choose from fully electric, hybrid and more efficient updated combustion engine vehicles. An example of this freedom of choice is the BMW X3, which is available as a hybrid, with an internal combustion engine (diesel or petrol) or fully electric. Such options will soon be available for other models in the Group. At most BMW plants, electric, hybrid and "standard" ICE cars are built on the same production line, allowing greater efficiency at lower cost.
BMW reports that in 2021, the BMW Munich site accounted for 26% of the production of electric cars. In the same year, the all-electric BMW iX and BMWi4 were launched. Analysing the year 2021, sales of EVs were around 13%, while the target for 2025 is already 30% and the goal for 2030 is to reach 50% of total sales. Ten years from now, there will be around 10 million EVs on the road. There will be 10 million BMW electric cars on the road in ten years. Ambitious plans!
The BMW Group's Q1 2024 reports note that electric vehicles are the main driver of the Group's sales growth. In the first half of the year, 179,554 EVs were delivered to consumers, compared to 133,927 in the first half of 2023, an increase of 34.1%. Popularity grew in the BMW X and in the luxury class. The Group points out that one in five BMW X1 Series and BMW 7 Series sedans sold in the luxury class was an electric car. The most successful electric car in the first half of 2024 was once again the BMW i4 sports coupe, with double-digit sales growth.
The X-Series BMW Ix3, BMW iX and the newly launched BMW iX2 were also very popular worldwide. New for 2024, the new and improved BMW M5 has already attracted a lot of international attention and positive feedback, even though the facelifted model is not due to be launched until the end of the year. The sedan, which is a particular favourite on the European market, will be sold as a hybrid for the first time.
The all-electric Mini Cooper compact was launched in 2019 and is the first BMW Group car to become all-electric by 2030. Meanwhile, the results for the first half of 2024 show that MINIs have received less attention and have sold fewer of them, as all models from the brand are being transformed into the new MINI class.
In April and May this year, the first refreshed MINIs were available to consumers, either powered by internal combustion engines or fully electric. A new variant of the brand, the Aceman all-electric crossover, will be launched in the second half of the year. This modern city car will have a compatible design and eye-catching details. It's not overloaded, it's charming and safe. A car that should especially appeal to women!
What's new on the Rolls-Royce market? The Rolls-Royce Spectre has reached a significant milestone - the first electric supercoupe has surpassed the 1,000-unit sales milestone, just 6 months after the launch of the electric car! This new model generated 40% of the brand's half-year sales. The new Rolls-Royce Cullinan Series II also performed well. It should be remembered that the Rolls-Royce Cullinan SUV is one of the brand's most popular models.
From 2025, BMW will enter the planned third phase of its transformation, known as Neue Klasse. What's new? A new software architecture, a new generation of more efficient electric drivetrains and batteries, and a new approach to vehicle lifecycle sustainability. Autonomous driving functions will be expanded. More powerful electric motors and higher capacity batteries will be developed, with a strong focus on rapid acceleration.
The vision of hydrogen-powered cars is also already a reality. The BMW iX5 Hydrogen fleet is currently on the road as a pilot project, combining hydrogen fuel and electric technology in a way that reinvents electric car driving. And the development of a zero-emission hydrogen fleet is just beginning! It's going to be a very exciting and innovative year. Are we ready to innovate?
