Tag Archives: Production

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BMW Hits Three Million Electrified Vehicles, and the Charge is Just Getting Started

BMW has just notched a milestone worth bragging about: its three millionth electrified vehicle has left the factory floor and into customer hands. The honor went to a 3 Series plug-in hybrid built in Munich, marking a high-voltage victory lap for the Bavarian brand.

What’s impressive isn’t just the round number. It’s the momentum. In the first half of 2025, electrified sales surged, with one in every four BMW Group vehicles sold worldwide now sporting a plug-in or fully electric drivetrain. That’s not just a blip—it’s a shift in the company’s sales backbone.

“Electrified vehicles are an elementary component of our technology-neutral product portfolio,” said Jochen Goller, BMW board member for Customer, Brands, and Sales. Translation: BMW wants to give customers choices—whether that’s all-electric or a plug-in compromise—while steadily tightening its grip on the EV space.

Europe Leads the Charge

Not surprisingly, BMW’s home turf is carrying the torch. More than 60 percent of all electrified deliveries land in Europe, where EV adoption is charging ahead thanks to incentives, infrastructure, and tighter emissions rules. In fact, electrified models now account for over 40 percent of BMW’s total European sales. Plug-in hybrids, once the unloved middle child of electrification, are suddenly enjoying a renaissance, posting a strong sales jump over last year.

Milestones Keep Coming

This isn’t BMW’s only record in 2025. Back in July, the company celebrated its 1.5 millionth fully electric vehicle, a MINI Countryman E that rolled out of Leipzig bound for a Portuguese driveway. To visualize that: line up every all-electric BMW built since the launch of the i3 in 2013, and you’d get a row of cars stretching 6,500 kilometers—basically Munich to New York City.

The Portfolio: More Than Just iX and i4

BMW isn’t resting on its laurels. Customers today can shop over 15 fully electric models across the BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce brands, plus 10-plus plug-in hybrids. Flagships like the updated BMW iX, with its claimed 700 km WLTP range, showcase just how far the company’s tech has come since it first dabbled in EVs decades ago.

BMW likes to remind the world it’s been thinking about electrification for over 50 years, tracing its lineage back to quirky experimental cars like the 1972 1602e built for the Munich Olympics. Fast-forward to 2025, and that experiment is looking like a core strategy: electric, digital, and circular.

The Road Ahead

BMW is still hedging its bets—plug-in hybrids for those not quite ready to cut the cord, and long-range EVs for early adopters. But hitting three million electrified vehicles sold proves the brand isn’t just playing catch-up. It’s shaping the curve.

After all, if Munich can get you to New York on a line of electric BMWs, the company clearly has distance on its mind.

Source: BMW

News

BMW Dadong Hits 3.5 Million: The Black Warrior Rises

China loves a milestone, and BMW’s Shenyang Dadong plant just clocked a big one: 3.5 million cars built since 2003. That’s two decades of Bavarian metal rolling off Chinese assembly lines, capped by a landmark car that sounds more Marvel than Munich: a BMW 5 Series Shadow Edition, nicknamed the “Black Warrior.”

And fittingly so. If there’s one car that embodies BMW’s Chinese success story, it’s the 5 Series long-wheelbase, a chauffeur special that’s become the go-to ride for executives who prefer to stretch out in the back. More than 2 million 5ers have been built here alone, making it the undisputed heavyweight champ of China’s premium sedan ring.

But Dadong isn’t just about pampering backseat bosses. The factory has morphed into one of BMW’s most advanced facilities worldwide. In 2022 it got a digital makeover worthy of Silicon Valley—AI cameras at 30+ stations keep watch for the tiniest assembly hiccup, while paint quality is checked by 100,000 images per car, hunting down shadow imperfections with almost obsessive precision. If you thought BMW was fussy about panel gaps in Germany, Dadong is on another level.

It’s also the only plant on Earth building the iX3 EV for export markets, and it cranks out the long-wheelbase X3 and X5 for SUV-hungry Chinese buyers. All on flexible lines that can switch between petrol, plug-in, and full electric builds without skipping a beat. That’s iFACTORY strategy in action—lean, green, and digital.

Still, the gloss hides some cracks. BMW’s China sales were down 15 percent in 2024, exports sank by more than a third, and local EV upstarts are circling like sharks. Even the mighty 5 Series is under siege in a market where apps and range anxiety matter more than leather and legroom. Enter Birgit Böhm-Wannenwetsch, BMW Brilliance’s new CEO as of August, tasked with steering the ship through these choppy waters.

For now, though, BMW has every reason to toast Dadong’s achievement. 3.5 million cars is no small feat, and with its sister plant Tiexi, Shenyang is about to chalk up 5 million units combined later this year. Not bad for a hub that started out as BMW’s first China foothold.

And if the last car off the line was a Black Warrior, perhaps that’s exactly what BMW needs in China right now: a fighter.

Source: BMW

News

Subaru Indiana Plant Builds 6 Millionth Vehicle, Marks End of Legacy Sedan

Subaru of Indiana Automotive (SIA) has reached a major manufacturing milestone, rolling out its six millionth vehicle—a 2025 Subaru Legacy Limited in Cosmic Blue Pearl—at its Lafayette, Indiana facility. The moment marks both a celebration of longevity and a poignant farewell, as the milestone vehicle also represents the final generation of the Subaru Legacy sedan, which will end production this fall.

“This milestone is a powerful reminder of how far we’ve come over the past 38 years,” said Scott Brand, president and COO of SIA. “I’m incredibly proud of our associates and the consistent dedication they bring to exceeding our customers’ expectations for safe, high-quality vehicles.”

The Lafayette plant, Subaru’s only manufacturing site outside of Japan, has become a cornerstone of the brand’s North American strategy. Currently producing the Ascent, Crosstrek, Legacy, and Outback, the facility is responsible for assembling approximately half of all Subarus sold across North America.

Yet the six-millionth vehicle comes with a hint of nostalgia. The Legacy, first launched for the U.S. market on September 11, 1989, was the very first Subaru built at SIA. Designed to compete in the mid-size sedan segment, the Legacy brought advanced technology and sharp styling to the table. Its wagon variant would later evolve into one of Subaru’s most successful and recognizable nameplates—the Outback.

Over its seven generations, the Subaru Legacy has garnered over 1.3 million U.S. sales. However, like many sedans, its market share has dwindled amid consumer preference for SUVs and crossovers. Subaru has acknowledged this shift by preparing for the next phase of its U.S. manufacturing roadmap.

Production of the popular Subaru Forester will begin at the Indiana plant this fall, with the Forester Hybrid following in spring 2026. This move not only expands the plant’s capacity but also aligns with Subaru’s broader push toward electrification and sustainability.

“Our associates have every reason to take great pride in this achievement,” Brand added. “They’ve weathered a number of industry challenges in recent years with resilience, never losing sight of their commitment to excellence.”

Looking ahead, SIA expects to reach another production milestone—its eight millionth vehicle—by November. As the automotive landscape evolves, Subaru’s U.S. plant remains a symbol of adaptability and forward-thinking manufacturing.

While the end of the Legacy may mark the conclusion of one chapter, it also underscores a strategic pivot toward electrified mobility and localized production. In the ever-shifting terrain of the automotive world, Subaru’s Indiana plant stands firm—part legacy, part future.

Source: Subaru