BMW Group Reports Third-Quarter Deliveries Down 13 Percent as Electric Vehicle Sales Grow

German luxury automaker BMW AG reported that third-quarter global vehicle deliveries across its BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce marques declined 13.0 percent year-over-year to 540,882 units, weighed down by a steep contraction in Chinese luxury spending and worldwide delivery holds linked to a faulty integrated braking system (IBS). Over the first nine months of the year, group-wide deliveries totaled 1,754,158 vehicles, representing a 4.5 percent decrease compared with the same period a year earlier.

Despite the headline contraction in internal combustion and plug-in hybrid handovers, Munich-based BMW Group highlighted sustained momentum in its zero-emission portfolio. Third-quarter deliveries of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) rose 10.1 percent year-over-year to 103,440 units, lifting fully electric cars to 19.1 percent of total quarterly sales. Between January and September, group BEV handovers surged 19.1 percent to 294,054 vehicles, led by strong European and North American demand for the BMW i4, iX1, and iX2.

China Market Slump and Integrated Braking System Recall

Regional figures underscored the severity of the slowdown in China, long the largest single market for Germany's premium carmakers. BMW Group deliveries in China fell 29.8 percent during the third quarter to 147,691 units, bringing nine-month Chinese volumes down 13.1 percent to 523,638 vehicles as domestic electric competitors intensified discounting and real estate weakness dampened high-end consumer sentiment.

Compounding the macroeconomic pressures in Asia were global stop-sale orders triggered by an electronic component defect in integrated braking systems supplied by Continental AG. Announced in September when BMW lowered its full-year operating profit margin guidance to between 6 percent and 7 percent, the braking issue affected roughly 1.5 million vehicles worldwide,including roughly 320,000 undelivered cars at factories and dealerships that required software diagnostics or hardware replacement before customer handover.

“Our fully electric vehicles continue to win over customers worldwide, achieving double-digit growth in the third quarter despite challenging macroeconomic headwinds in China and temporary brake-related delivery stops.” — Jochen Goller, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG for Customer, Brands, Sales

Brand Performance Across BMW, MINI, and Rolls-Royce

Across individual brands, the core BMW marque delivered 487,862 vehicles in the third quarter, an 11.4 percent decline from a year earlier, though the BMW brand remained the market segment leader in Europe, where overall group deliveries edged up 7.6 percent over the first nine months outside Germany. Meanwhile, the MINI brand saw third-quarter deliveries fall 25.2 percent to 52,000 units amid a comprehensive model changeover toward the next-generation electric Cooper, Countryman, and Aceman lineup.

Ultra-luxury subsidiary Rolls-Royce Motor Cars recorded 1,020 handovers in the third quarter, down 28.0 percent as factories transitioned to the refreshed Cullinan Series II. Industry analysts noted that BMW's ability to maintain double-digit battery-electric growth contrasts favorably with several European peers that have scaled back electrification targets, positioning the automaker ahead of strict European Union fleet carbon dioxide limits taking effect in the coming year.

Sources

• BMW Group PressClub
• Frankfurt Stock Exchange