German OEM BMW is celebrating hitting its target of 100,000 fully-electric units produced at its Regensburg plant in its home state of Bavaria. The firm has not revealed exactly how many BEVs Regensburg produced last year, but total production thus far has jumped from under 240,000 to over 330,000 units, making it likely that BEV volumes at the facility have increased year-on-year.
The firm also produces PHEVs at the plant. But it says that more of a third of its production is electrified, and that third of production would roughly equal to 110,000 units, leaving little scope for plug-in units alongside the 100,000 BEVs.
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BMW’s total all-electric sales have increased this year, albeit Q3 saw an annual rise of only just over 10pc compared to the same quarter last year, slower growth than the 20pc+ jumps seen in Q1 and Q2 (see main image). Nonetheless, BMW’s BEV sales remain on course to comfortably outstrip 2023 volumes (see Fig.1).
Fig.1: BMW on course to outstrip last year's BEV sales
The firm makes ICE, PHEV and BEV versions of its X1 and X2 at Regensburg. In a German market where BEV sales have dropped by 26pc year-on-year in the first 11 months of the year, iX1 sales have proven more resilient that the overall market, albeit sliding by 7pc from almost 12,000 units sold in Jan-Nov 2023 to just over 11,00 year-to-date in 2024.
Only two iX2s had sold in Germany prior to last November, making annual comparisons less meaningful. But an extra 1,500 iX2 units sold this year due to being fully available does lift overall sales of Regenburg’s BEV output in Germany higher year-on-year (see Fig.2).
Fig.2: Regensburg's BEV products have sold better in Germany this year despite challenges there
“We are meeting customer needs with our BMW iX1 and BMW iX2 models,” says Regensburg plant director Armin Ebner. “I am especially proud of our team at Plant Regensburg, who once again showed tremendous commitment and flexibility, despite volatile market conditions.”
More than 1,400 X1 and X2 models are currently coming off the production line at Regensburg every workday. “Our plant has become even more digital, more circular and more efficient overall this year,” Ebner continues. “We are systematically driving our transformation towards electromobility and the BMW iFactory — an intelligently connected digital factory.”
Interestingly, the 100,000th BEV off the line this is an iX1 — as was the millionth vehicle ever produced at Regensburg back in July last year — which will be going all the way to the French overseas territory of Reunion in the Indian Ocean.
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