Last year saw BMW selling 60,000 electric vehicles around the globe. They’re looking to almost double that number this year. BMW’s Ursula Mathar said this week at the Movin’On sustainable mobility conference in Montreal that the company has a goal of 100,000 plug-in vehicles sold and are currently on target.
BMW’s most well known electric vehicles are the i3 and i8, however, most of the company’s EV sales actually are from their line of plug-in hybrids. The company also has the X5 and Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid upcoming.
BMW has recently released their sales reports for last month which implies that year-to-date deliveries of electrified BMW’s were at 33,221 at May’s end. This is up an astounding 80.6% over the same period last year. However, should that average hold and the company does not endeavor to boost sales, it will only reach 80,000 sales this year. That said, most electric vehicle sales come at the end of the year. For example last year BMW sold only 21,147 EVs during the first half of the year but sold almost twice as many (around 41,000) during the second half of the year.
If BMW can maintain that current pace, they are on track to sell around 111,000 plug-in vehicles during 2017. When it is considered that the 530e, BMW 330e, and Countryman All4 are new to the market, they may hit around 120,000 in sales.
Mathar is BMW’s Head of Sustainability and Environmental protection, making her responsible for stuff like the company’s Sustainable Value Report, along with BMW’s automotive sector top ranking on the Dow Jones Sustainability index. Mathar talked at length about more than just BMW’s cars, detailing how BMW’s plants in Brazil, Mexico, China and more are trying to reduce emissions and transition to renewable power.
