The market for new vehicle sales is falling sharply. The increasingly high figure in the price of cars or the lack of supplies make sales suffer significantly. The BMW Group has also experienced this drop with respect to the figures reached in 2021; nevertheless, the second quarter has been much more beneficial for the Germans than the first three months of 2022 were.
The automobile conglomerate reported global sales of 563,536 vehicles in the second quarter of 2022, almost 20% less than in the same period a year ago. This total sales is divided between the 496,745 units registered by BMW and the 65,224 by MINI. This figure, added to what was obtained in the first quarter, presents a total of 1,160,443 registrations so far this year, which is 13% less than what was obtained last year 2021.
However, sales of plug-in vehicles have improved notably in the second quarter, reaching a total of 94,884 registrations (14.3% more than in the same period of time as in 2021). This good figure has allowed plug-in cars now represent 16.9% of total sales executed by the BMW Group.
Within the niche of models with plug-in technology are plug-in hybrid and fully electric vehicles. The latter have advanced significantly in recent months, reaching an increase of 85% compared to the first quarter; by contrast, plug-in hybrids decreased their sales by 11% compared to the same period in 2021.
In the second quarter of 2022, BMW and MINI harvested a total of 40,602 registrations of 100% electric cars, which has meant a growth of 85% compared to the first quarter, this represents a 7.2% share of the total sales of the BMW Group. Plug-in hybrids, for their part, have been made with a total of 54,282 registrations, which represents a decrease of 11% over the first quarter and 9.7% of the total sales quota of the Bavarian firm. Despite the decrease in the acquisition of the latter, plug-in vehicles (PHEV and pure electric) have grown by 14% over the first quarter and take 16.9% of the total share of the automobile group.
Analyzing the annual rate obtained in 2022, the BMW Group has sold a total of 184,553 plug-in hybrids, which is 20% higher than what was obtained a year earlier, while pure electrics obtain 75,891 sales, 110% more than in the same period of 2021. According to the directive of the automobile company, sales of pure electric models are expected to double compared to the year 2021, which will mean more than 200,000 total registrations once the year ends.
In 2022, electric sales are divided between the 57,461 units obtained by BMW and the 18,430 by MINI. One of the most successful models of the brand is the BMW i4which has obtained more than 34,000 orders in Europe alone. Over the next few years they expect to significantly increase these figures with the arrival of new key models, such as the BMW iX1, the new BMW i3 or the BMW i7.
Faced with these figures, Pieter Nota, member of the BMW Board of Directors and responsible for customers, brands and sales, was really enthusiastic because, despite not being an easy time due to cost increases and lack of supplies, they hope to double the number of sales of electric cars with respect to what was obtained in 2021.
