BMW delivered a record 2,253,835 vehicles in 2023, finishing the year at the top of the luxury auto sales pyramid for the third consecutive year despite producing a plethora of contentious designs and ever-more complex iDrive systems.
This number, according to Automotive News Europe, is 7.3% higher than in 2022, allowing BMW to surpass arch-rival Mercedes-Benz once more. Sales of the brand’s electric vehicles, in particular, have increased dramatically year over year, rising by 92% to 330,956 units.
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The German automaker projects to sell half a million completely electric vehicles this year and states that it expects the market for EVs to continue rising. With the inclusion of its Rolls-Royce and MINI brands, the BMW Group sold 2,555,341 vehicles overall last year, an increase of 6.5%.
Meanwhile, Mercedes reported almost flat sales of 2,043,800 units, owing to a component scarcity for its 48-volt mild hybrid systems, other supplier delays, and the transition to the new W214 E-Class. Despite a 73% increase to 222,600, sales of its EVs fell short of BMW’s, but sales of high-end Maybach, G-Class, and AMG vehicles were strong enough to compensate.
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Overall group sales, which include vans (up 8% to a record 447,800 vehicles) and smart vehicles (the older fortwo and forfour, not the Geely-developed #1 and #3), increased by 1.5% to 2,491,600 vehicles.
Audi secured the third & final podium position with 1,895,240 sales, a 17% increase over 2022 owing to the easing of supply issues. This includes slightly more than 178,000 EVs that were able to find a home, rendering a 51% increase.
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