For BMW, the story of the first half of 2026 is one of regional divergence. While the company faces a significant sales decline in the Asia-Pacific region, its performance in Europe and the United States shows a different trajectory, largely propelled by its new generation of electric vehicles.
Jochen Goller, the board member responsible for sales, points directly to the brand’s Neue Klasse platform as a source of momentum. “The Neue Klasse continues to show strong momentum,” Goller stated. “With the BMW iX3, we are on track to reach the next major milestone of 100,000 new orders.” Early demand for the second Neue Klasse model, the BMW i3, is also described as strong since its order books opened.
A Tale of Two Markets
Overall, the BMW Group delivered approximately 1.15 million vehicles to customers worldwide in the first six months of the year, a slight decrease of 4.2 percent. The details within that number are what matter. Sales in Europe rose by 5.4 percent, and the United States saw a 3.9 percent increase, with the BMW brand itself outperforming the general market there.
This growth in Western markets stands against a difficult period in Asia. Sales in China dropped by 20.4 percent through the end of June. The company notes these figures reflect a global market with “mixed dynamics” and “challenges worldwide.”
The Electric Shift
The push towards electrification is most visible in the European numbers. During the second quarter, from April to June, the group recorded double-digit growth of 38.0 percent for its fully-electric vehicles across Europe, delivering 81,445 units. The BMW iX3 was available in this market first, contributing to the sharp rise. In Germany, this performance was strong enough to lift BMW to second place for registrations of fully electric vehicles in the second quarter.
Looking at the individual brands, the core BMW brand saw its sales grow 1.5 percent in Europe and 4.7 percent in the US, with growth in America driven primarily by its X models. The company also unveiled a new BMW X5 in late June, anticipating it will generate further sales. During the same period, BMW M delivered 99,595 vehicles to customers, a 6.0 percent decline.
The MINI brand, however, posted a significant year-on-year increase of 11.7 percent. This marks its sixth consecutive quarter of growth, with its fully-electric models cited as the primary driver. On the two-wheeled side of the business, BMW Motorrad delivered 102,847 motorcycles and scooters in the first half of the year, a small dip of 2.9 percent.
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