One in Five BMWs Sold Last Quarter Was Fully Electric — but the US Lags Far Behind

BMW Group, which covers the BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce brands, said all-electric models made up 20% of global sales in the third quarter, rising to 27.4% with plug-in hybrids included, according to its latest earnings report. Year to date through September, EVs account for 18.4% of sales and 26.1% with plug-in hybrids.

The regional split is the story. Europe leads with a 34.7% EV share — 46.9% electrified once plug-in hybrids are counted — while the United States trails at 4.7% EVs, 11.4% with plug-in hybrids, and China sits at 6.5%.

Put against the wider market, BMW’s US figure is weak even by American standards: Cox Automotive estimates put total US EV share at about 5.7% in the third quarter. BMW’s American EV business is running behind the national average, while its European business is running far ahead of it.

The gap shows how much of BMW’s electric volume still rides on Europe. With the US EV market shrinking after the federal tax credit expired and China’s market dominated by domestic brands, BMW’s electrification story is, for now, a European one.