BMW Group concludes 2020 with a strong fourth quarter

The BMW Group again confirms its position as the world's leading premium automotive manufacturer in 2020, with a total of 2,324,809 BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce vehicles delivered to customers worldwide. 686,069 vehicles were sold at Group level in the fourth quarter, an increase of 3.2% year-on-year. Sales of plug-in hybrid vehicles climbed 38.9% compared to the previous year, reflecting strong customer interest.

Due to COVID-19 and the desire of customers for the sales process to be as contactless as possible, the BMW Group systematically pushed ahead with digitalisation last year. Sales representatives in more than 60 markets are now able to advise customers and sell vehicles regardless of their location. They can configure vehicles together using a shared screen or give customers a live demonstration of the cars they have in stock.

In a second step, the company has extensively implemented the sales process online for its retail partners in key markets via its high-traffic websites, and will roll out this offering in additional markets in 2021.

The BMW brand finished the year with a total of 2,028,659 vehicles delivered to customers worldwide. A significant contribution was made by the strong performance of the models in the upper luxury segment, which increased by 12.4% year-on-year to a total of 115,420 units thanks to the 7 Series, the 8 Series and the BMW X7. Sales of these highly profitable models have increased by more than 70% overall since 2018.

As an e-mobility pioneer, the BMW Group sold a total of 192,646 electrified BMW and MINI vehicles worldwide last year - an increase of 31.8% over 2019. This means that electromobility is also a significant growth driver for the company in absolute terms. Sales of fully electric vehicles rose by 13%, while plug-in hybrid sales climbed by almost 40%. In Europe, electrified vehicles already accounted for 15% of total sales.

The BMW Group has now increased the number of electrified vehicles in its lineup to 13 models, which are available in 74 markets around the globe. By 2023, the BMW Group plans to almost double its lineup to 25 electrified vehicles, of which more than half will be fully electric.

The introduction of the pure-electric MINI and BMW iX3 last year will be followed in 2021 by the start of production for the fully electric BMW iX in Dingolfing and the BMW i4 in Munich.

With sales growth of 6%, BMW M GmbH once again closes the past year as the most successful in its history, with high-performance models in the X series including the new X6 M50i contributing to BMW M's sales success. Last year, both the new BMW M3 and M4 celebrated their world premieres and both models will be launched in the first quarter of this year.

In a challenging year and an extremely competitive segment, MINI sales reached 292,394 units in 2020. The MINI Electric, with 17,580 vehicles sold, and the John Cooper Works models, with a total of 20,565 units sold, were particularly popular with customers.

In 2020, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars sold a total of 3,756 motor cars. This result was achieved despite the absence of the marque's best-selling model, the Ghost, from the market, in anticipation of the introduction of a new model at the end of the year. Customer demand remained strong across all models, with Bespoke commissions at record levels.

The highlight of the year was the launch of the new Ghost, to universal acclaim from customers, the media and the wider public alike. Orders for the new model have resulted in a strong order book, filled well into the second half of 2021. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars continues to strive for long-term sustainable growth.

BMW Group sales in China were 7.4% higher than the previous year. South Korea reported a significant sales increase of a 30.5%, compared to the previous year, and the U.S.A market sold 306,870 units in total. In Europe however, in an extraordinary year marked by retail restrictions, total BMW and MINI sales were nearly 16% below the previous year. In its home market of Germany, the BMW Group recorded a decline of 13.3%.