Mini sees only modest BEV sales rise

Sales of all-electric Minis rose by just 3.5pc year-on-year in 2023, a far cry from the 70pc+ rise in BEV sales recorded by its parent company, Germany’s BMW. But it did share something in common with its owner as the magnitude of growth in fully electric models outstripped increases in non-BEV options.

The Mini Cooper SE 3-door and the limited production run Mini Cooper SE Convertible between them shifted 45,261 units, meaning Mini sold an additional 1,531 BEVs compared to 2022. In contrast, overall sales increased by only 0.9pc to 295,474.

That means Mini sold only 1,105 units more in 2023 that were not BEV, for a rise of just 0.4pc. That equates to a lower number than the extra BEVs it sold, despite the latter making up only 15pc of overall sales.

For BMW as whole, which includes Mini and Rolls-Royce, more than 160,000 additional BEVs were sold in 2023. Overall sales growth of 6.5pc saw total units sold increase by only c.156,000, meaning sales of non-BEV vehicles were actually down slightly year-on-year.

Looking forward

“The accelerated adoption of our fully-electric vehicles underscores our collective dedication to shaping a greener future,” says Stefanie Wurst, head of Mini. “The enthusiastic reactions following the world premiere of our new and fully electric Mini family — the Mini Cooper and the Mini Countryman — at IAA Mobility are very promising. "

The all-electric Mini Cooper SE and Mini Cooper E, the all-electric Mini Countryman SE ALL4 and the Mini Countryman E will be “completely new models and come equipped with cutting-edge technology, thrilling digital customer experience and significantly enhanced range”, the firm says.