Why German Drivers Are Ditching Gas Cars, Right as BMW’s EV Wave Hits
BMW's iX3, i3, iX4, iX5, iX7 and an electric M3 are landing right as fuel costs push German drivers toward EVs.
BMW's iX3, i3, iX4, iX5, iX7 and an electric M3 are landing right as fuel costs push German drivers toward EVs.
The BMW Group is sticking to its goal of having EVs account for half of its sales by the end of the decade, despite H1 2026 results pointing in the opposite direction.
The X3 saw the biggest jump while the iX and XM fell the hardest.
New car registration data for the first half of the year in Europe reveals BMW is up by 2.1% but the real star is MINI.
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BMW was the only German luxury brand to sell more than one million cars in the first six months of the year.
BMW and MINI were down by 30.2% in the second quarter of 2026. Through June, demand has fallen by 20.4%.
Even though it fell 6.2%, BMW still hit 1 million sales in the first six months of the year. It comfortably outsold rival Mercedes, which only moved 837,200 vehicles.
BMW's lead over Lexus grew to over 17,000 units by midyear, as Mercedes-Benz and Audi await Q2 sales reports.
BMW reports Z4 demand doubled while the iX continued its downfall, plummeting by 46.8%. Despite its imminent retirement, the X5 had a surprisingly great second quarter, rising by 41.6%.
Light trucks and PHEVs drove the gain, while combined EV sales fell 18.1% ahead of the iX3 and i7 launch.
EBIT margin guidance slashed to 1-3% as China combustion sales fall and BMW accelerates its cost-cutting program.