BMW says it plans to sell around 25% of its vehicles entirely online by 2025.

Announcing its results earlier this month in Germany, the car maker said the introduction of two new electric models, the iX and i4, has seen the group “significantly expand its digitalisation of the customer interface”. 

“For instance, as well as offering intuitive configuration to simplify the purchasing process, pre-configured new vehicles and newer used cars across the entire model range can already be bought online in the BMW Group’s domestic market of Germany.”

However, emphasised BMW, “our retailers would have an important and future role as the point of sales and service”. 

The car maker also noted that it expected sales of its fully-electric vehicles to increase rapidly, and that it aimed to have more than two-million fully electric vehicles on the roads by the end of 2025.

“Fully-electric vehicles could make up 50% of the company’s global sales earlier than 2030.”

Under suitable conditions, the BMW Group’s goal is to have delivered 10-million fully electric vehicles to customers by 2030. 

Starting at the end of the year, the new iX1 will be BMW’s fully electric offer to customers in the high-volume premium compact segment.

By 2030, the Rolls-Royce brand would have a product range that was exclusively all-electric, added the German premium brand.

Mini is also on the road to a fully electric future from the early 2030s onwards. 

BMW, notes, however, that all of its projections were dependent on the expansion of charging infrastructure worldwide being able to keep up with the increase in models available, as well as growing customer demand for fully electric vehicles. 

A stable supply of raw materials will also be key.

The BMW Group said it did not expect all markets worldwide to have the necessary framework conditions in place for all customers to transition to pure electromobility in the early 2030s. 

“For this reason, options with highly efficient conventional drive technology will still be needed to meet people’s individual mobility requirements, while at the same time contributing to carbon dioxide reduction in the transport sector.

“Hydrogen fuel-cell technology is also expected to account for a growing percentage of the drive-train mix from the second half of the decade onwards,” added BMW.

“The BMW Group is systematically pushing forward with development of this technology as an additional option for sustainable individual mobility.”

The car maker said a small series of the iX5 Hydrogen will be used for demonstration and testing purposes for the first time this year. 

“We see hydrogen-electric drivetrains as a complement to battery electric drivetrains.”

BMW also noted that international demand for semiconductors was likely to remain high, with a corresponding continued difficult supply situation. 

“As in 2021, there is still a risk of supply bottlenecks for the semiconductor components required for in-house production. The situation is not currently expected to improve until the second half of 2022.”

At BMW Motorrad, all future urban motorcycles will be fully electric, noted BMW.

“Customers can expect a new electric two-wheeler from BMW Motorrad every 18 to 24 months.”

Volkswagen Doubles EV Sales
In the 2021 fiscal year, the Volkswagen group said it delivered more electric vehicles worldwide than ever before – more than 369 000 electric vehicles (up 73%), of which some 106 000 were plug-in hybrids (up 33%) and 263 000 were all-electric vehicles (up 97%).

This means that Volkswagen doubled battery electric vehicle deliveries compared with the previous year. 

Three new electric models were launched in 2021, the ID.4 and the ID.5, and the ID.6 in China. 

This year saw the debut of the ID. Buzz van.

Also announcing its financial results in March, Volkswagen said it planned to “significantly increase deliveries of all-electric vehicles in the current fiscal year”.