BMW EVs had a great 2024, selling more globally than Mercedes-Benz and Audi combined, suggesting that having electric and combustion versions of the same car is the winning strategy. Its EV sales growth continued in the yearâs first quarter in the U.S., where the manufacturer has announced delivering 26.4% more pure electric cars compared to Q1 2024.
The most popular model was the i4, the electric version of the 4 Series Gran Coupe, which sold 7,125 units in Q1 2025, up from 4,537 in 2024, marking an impressive 57% increase. Second came the iX, the only current BMW EV that isnât directly related to a combustion car, which sold 3,626 units, up 23.1% from the 2,945 EVs it sold in Q1 last year.
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Increased sales of the iX and i4 helped offset falling sales of the i5 and i7, which were down 15.2% and 10.4%. They sold 1,899 and 888 units, respectively, helping BMW reach 13,538 Q1 BEV sales, up from 10,713 in Q1 2024.
The i4 is a real EV success story for BMW in the U.S., accounting for half of all 4 Series sold in the country last year. It sold over 23,400 units last year, almost making the top 10 best-selling EVs list. Itâs still far behind its main rival, the smaller Tesla Model 3 sedan, which was the countryâs second-best-selling EV last year, but for a more expensive premium vehicle thatâs not a crossover, itâs still an achievementâthe Model 3 was the only sedan that made the top 10 list, clearly showing what U.S. buyers prefer.
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Both the i4 and iX received mid-lifecycle updates, which should help them consolidate their position as heavy-lifters in BMWâs EV lineup. Itâs surprising to see the i5, which we reviewed with sedan and wagon bodies, sold worse this year in Q1 compared to 2024, when it recorded a fourfold sales increase compared to the year before. It likely took buyers away from the Mercedes-Benz EQE, whose sales dropped 40% last year.
We werenât expecting the i7 flagship sedan to show significant gains because even though itâs about as good as ultra-luxurious electric sedans get, there doesnât really seem to be a big market for such vehicles right now. Buyers perusing the segment for a new luxo-barge seem to prefer combustion power, at least at the i7âs price point. BMW-owned Rolls-Royce reported that the Spectre EV had been very well received, and it garnered a lot of interest from buyers.
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For BMW, 2025âs most important EV-related event is the unveiling of the first vehicle in its new Neue Klasse series. Itâs an X3-sized crossover called the iX3, which will be unveiled in September. Itâs the first of a series of six new EVs, and it will be followed by a 3 Series-sized sedan that will debut in 2026 and likely be called the i3. The arrival of these two midsize EVs should give BMW an additional sales boost once deliveries start.
BMW has already given us hints at what it plans to do with its new line of EVs, which in sedan form will get an M3 equivalent model with up to four motors and over 1,000 horsepower. Itâs apparently so good that it left BMW executives speechless, and a different prototype (with color-changing, light-up wheels) did the same during a recent media passenger ride event.