Back in 2020, BMW’s electric future looked more like a glimmer than a revolution. Only 1.9 percent of the Bavarian automaker’s total deliveries were battery-electric vehicles — a rounding error in the grand scheme of things. Fast-forward to 2024, and that number has surged to 17.4 percent, a nearly tenfold leap in just four years.
And the story’s not done yet.
From January through September 2025, 18 percent of all BMW Group cars sold wore no exhaust pipe at all. That figure includes not only BMW-branded vehicles but also MINI and Rolls-Royce, both of which have been ramping up their own electric ambitions. In total, the trio moved 323,437 fully electric vehicles during the first nine months of the year — a 10 percent jump over 2024’s pace.
BMW’s plug-in hybrids are also quietly pulling their weight. Sales of PHEVs climbed 27.6 percent year-over-year, reaching 146,850 units, or 8.2 percent of total deliveries. Put the two together — EVs and plug-in hybrids — and electrified vehicles now represent 26.2 percent of BMW Group’s global volume. That’s 470,287 cars, an impressive slice for a company that still builds some of the world’s finest inline-sixes and V8s.
The Calm Before the Neue Klasse Storm
Perhaps the most striking part of BMW’s current trajectory is that this growth has come before the real wave of next-generation EVs hits showrooms. The new iX3, the first to properly bridge the gap between BMW’s current-gen electric offerings and its all-new Neue Klasse platform, hasn’t even debuted yet.
Once that happens — and especially when the Neue Klasse sedan and SUV arrive in 2026 — BMW’s electric momentum could kick into overdrive. On the horizon: the i3 sedan, iX4, iX5, and a mid-cycle update for the i7, all slated for launch next year. Prototypes of the next-gen iX1 are already running public-road tests with their full Neue Klasse underpinnings.
BMW’s roadmap for the late 2020s reads like an EV buffet. Expect to see an iX7 flagship SUV, a Touring version of the i3, and even an entry-level model wearing an i1 or i2 badge. A sleek i4 Coupe could also join the lineup, while markets like China are getting long-wheelbase exclusives such as the iX3 LWB and i3 LWB.
The 50% Challenge
For all this progress, BMW’s ultimate goal remains ambitious: more than half of all annual sales to be fully electric by 2030. That’s not impossible, but it’s a tall order. Even with 18 percent of sales already electric, doubling that share within five years will take more than new product — it’ll require strong demand, robust charging infrastructure, and continued affordability in key markets.
BMW, for its part, isn’t exactly underfunded in this transition. The company has poured over €10 billion into Neue Klasse development, a figure CEO Oliver Zipse calls the largest single investment in BMW’s history. With that much cash on the table — and a new generation of EVs set to deliver sharper design, better efficiency, and tech-rich interiors — the brand is clearly betting the house on electric.
Steady, Strategic, and Bavarian
While rivals like Tesla, Mercedes, and Audi have gone full-throttle into electrification, BMW’s approach has been more measured — methodical, even. But if history tells us anything, it’s that BMW tends to play the long game.
The numbers are climbing, the lineup is expanding, and the Neue Klasse era is almost here. The road to 50 percent might be steep, but Bavaria’s EV train has definitely left the station.
Source: BMW