BMW passes the one million mark for electric vehicle production

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BMW has reached an important milestone in its electrification history, selling over one million cars fitted with electric power of some kind. 

Although most of those million cars are hybrids, the company has high hopes to increase production of pure electric models as the years continue. 

An official ceremony took place to recognise the one millionth electric vehicle sold, a BMW iX xDrive40, with the owners not only receiving the car but a Wallbox charging setup for home, as well as credit for Europe-wide charging with BMW Charging. 

“The delivery of our one-millionth electrified vehicle marks a milestone in our transformation – and we already have the next one in our sights: We aim to break through the two-million mark in just two years,” said Pieter Nota, a member of the Board of Management for BMW’s customer, brand and sales. 

“Thanks to our steadily growing product range, we are setting ourselves ambitious sales targets, in particular for fully-electric vehicles: In 2022, we aim to double this year’s sales. 

“By 2025 the BMW Group will have delivered around two million fully-electric vehicles to customers. We expect at least one out of every two BMW Group vehicles sold to be fully electric by 2030.”

BMW has released two key flagship models in Europe for 2021, the iX large SUV and i4 sedan, both of which are fully electric vehicles. They follow on from the i8 hybrid supercar and i3 all-electric hatchback as part of BMW’s electrification strategy.

The fully-electric range will expand further in 2022 to include a fully electric 7 Series (known as the i7) and BMW X1, as well as an electric 5 Series that should follow in 2023. 

In other brands under the BMW Group banner, an all-electric Rolls-Royce Spectre will launch as the start of the brand’s transition to be fully electric from 2030. Mini will follow a similar trajectory and be all-electric by the early 2030s.

The BMW Group aims to release approximately ten million fully electric vehicles globally over the next ten years.

What electric models will we receive here in Australia?

As for Australia, the BMW iX SUV is scheduled for launch down under by the first quarter of 2022 and will be priced to start from $135,900 before on-road costs for the xDrive40 variant.

The model will top out with the $169,900 xDrive50 Sport which packs considerable grunt from its electric motors: 385kW of power and 765Nm of torque. 

It’ll have a range of 630km on the WLTP cycle and a four second 0-100km sprint which is impressive considering its 2510kg kerb weight. 

The i4 – an all electric alternative to the 4 Series Gran Coupe – is also scheduled for release early next year, priced from $99,900 before on-road costs. 

The iX3 midsize electric SUV is scheduled to enter showrooms very early in 2022, and it will be priced to undercut its closest rival, the Mercedes EQC, at $114,900 before on-road costs. 

There is certainly plenty to choose from, then, if you are looking to make the transition to an electric BMW.