BMW expects a significant increase in EV sales this year in the US thanks to an expanding portfolio of models.
Last year, the automaker launched the BMW i4 sporty four-door, the BMW iX mid-size crossover and BMW i7 large sedan, racking up a total of 15,584 BEV sales in the US.
For 2023, BMW is anticipating to sell three times as many electric vehicles fueled by the launches of another i4 variant – the entry-level i4 eDrive35 – and the i5, an all-electric version of the 5 Series mid-size sedan.
Shaun Bugbee, BMW of North America's executive vice president of operations, told Automotive News after the brand's make meeting at NADA that dealers should see significant EV volume increases in 2023.
"We'll have a full year of some of our [EV] products and then bring some new products on. We'll be in a position where we'll triple our volume in 2023 for full BEVs."
This would mean BMW will sell almost 47,000 electric vehicles in the US in 2023 compared to 15,584 EVs in 2022, which represented 4.7 percent of its total US sales. Bugbee noted that BMW's electric vehicles are popular throughout the United States.
Gallery: 2023 BMW i4 eDrive35
"This is not just an East Coast, West Coast phenomenon. This is something that's here to stay across the entire market. That's our mentality. We want all 350 dealers to be focused on that," he said.
BMW National Dealer Forum Chairman David Sloane said the meeting with dealers had a positive note. Sloane, who is also president of Sloane Automotive Group in suburban Philadelphia, said EVs' share in BMW's total sales is growing, with the automaker expecting close to 20 percent of sales to be EVs in 2023.
"It'll be interesting if the demand is there for EVs. But the i4 is priced well. The i7 has been received well," Sloane said, adding that the i4 eDrive35 will be the entry point for the i4 nameplate.
The BMW i4 eDrive35 is powered by a 70.2 kWh battery pack that's good for a BMW-estimated 260 miles (418 kilometers) of range. The battery powers a single rear electric motor rated at 210 kilowatts (281 horsepower) and 295 pound-foot (400 Newton-meters) of torque.
The model does 0-60 mph (0-96 km/h) in 5.8 seconds and is priced from $52,395, including the $995 destination charge.
