by BMW reaches the two million electric vehicle mark
The BMW Group has just produced its two-millionth fully electric vehicle, and the pace of this growth is impressive. It took nearly 11 years to reach the first million after the launch of the i3 hatchback in 2013, and then only about two years to double that number.
Jubilee car and Europe’s leadership
The jubilee car was a BMW i5 M60 xDrive, built in Germany and destined for a customer in Spain. This destination says a lot, as Europe currently leads in demand for electric vehicles. Sales of fully electric cars in the region grew by 28% in 2025, and every fifth car sold in the EU is now an electric vehicle.
Flexible production and regional differences
Production is ramping up quickly to meet this growth. BMW now produces electric vehicles at all its German plants, combining them with internal combustion engine cars on the same lines. This flexibility allows it to respond to changes in demand, which has fluctuated significantly recently, as Europe’s love for electric vehicles is not mirrored in other regions.
Globally, BMW delivered 442,072 electric vehicles in 2025, representing modest growth and indicating that the increase is still happening, but not at the same pace as before. In the United States, the sales momentum for BMW electric vehicles has noticeably slowed. Sales of battery electric vehicles fell to 42,484 units in 2025, down 16.7% compared to the previous year.
The decline was even sharper at the end of the year: in the fourth quarter, electric vehicle sales fell by 45.5% after federal tax credits for electric vehicles were canceled. At the same time, sales of plug-in hybrids grew by more than 30%, showing where customers are heading. China is not helping either. Sales there fell significantly, with the region showing a double-digit decline, negatively impacting the overall global figures.
New electric models on the way
On the positive side, BMW has just started producing new electric vehicles with advanced design and technology. The iX3, the first BMW car of the Neue Klasse series, is already appearing in showrooms, and the i3, the electric “3 Series” that debuted this spring, will follow shortly. They will be followed by the first-ever electric X5, and Rolls-Royce is also preparing its own electric SUV, although sales volumes will obviously be modest.
This lineup should help sustain the growth of BMW Group’s electric vehicle registrations, but it may struggle to keep up with another major German automaker. Volkswagen recently announced that it produced its 2-millionth electric vehicle just 10 months after the millionth one, and with the significantly improved ID.3 and the ID. Polo arriving at dealers soon, its next million may come even faster.
BMW’s achievement of producing two million electric vehicles is significant, but it occurs against a backdrop of uneven global demand. While Europe shows rapid growth, slowdowns in the US and China create challenges. At the same time, competition from Volkswagen, which is ramping up production even faster, underscores that the race for leadership in electrification continues. The success of new models such as the iX3 and i3 will be key for BMW to not only maintain but also accelerate its pace in the coming years.
