i3

Make
BMW
Segment
Hatchback

As BMW prepares to put its electrification strategy into high gear with the launch of new plug-in hybrid models and fully electric cars such as the BMW i4 and iX3, sales data released by the automaker shows that demand for BMW's electrified cars is booming.

So far in 2020, 7.9 percent of the company's total sales were plug-in hybrid or fully electric vehicles. Car registration data from IHS Markit also shows that BMW is the second most popular plug-in hybrid and electric car brand in Germany, representing 12 percent of all new plug-in hybrids and EVs registered in the country between January and May 2020. BMW came second to Volkswagen, which dominates the plug-in hybrid and EV market in Germany with a 17 percent share.

This was followed by Audi (11 percent), Mercedes-Benz (10 percent), Renault (8 percent), Tesla (6 percent), Volvo (5 percent), Mitsubishi (4 percent), Hyundai (4 percent), Kia (3 percent), Opel (3 percent), Skoda (3 percent), and Smart (3 percent).

In the US, however, 4.5 percent of BMW cars sold in 2020 were plug-ins, falling below the market average of 5.1 percent. In Europe, BMW is ahead of the competition, representing 10 percent of the electrified market in 2020 alongside Volkswagen. This puts BMW ahead of Tesla, which has a nine percent share of the market, but this isn't surprising since Tesla only sells EVs. In terms of the global electrified market combining PHEVs and EVs, Tesla, unsurprisingly, has a strong lead with a 22 percent share. BMW, on the other hand, has a seven percent share, but this will no doubt increase when its EV onslaught begins later this year starting with the BMW iX3.

The BMW i3 continues to be a strong seller, making up eight percent of global compact electric car sales, but it couldn't outsell the Nissan Leaf (15 percent) or Volkswagen e-Golf (19 percent). In 2020, the most popular compact electric car by a huge margin is the Renault ZOE with a 28 percent share.

As for BMW's most popular electric car markets, Norway represents a whopping 85 percent of the market followed by the UK (12.4 percent), Germany (11.2 percent), and the US (4.5 percent). Except the US, the share of BMW's electrified vehicles sales in 2020 is higher than combustion engine models. By 2023, BMW will expand its electrified car range to 25 models. More than half of these will be fully electric.