EVs help global auto sales

Sales of electrified vehicles have boosted both BMW and Renault.

Plug-in hybrid (PHEV) sales rose 38.9% while fully electric sales increased 13% last year compared to 2019, reflecting strong customer interest, BMW Group says.

It’s overall 2020 sales were 2,324,809 units – down 8.4%, although BMW finished with a strong fourth quarter showing where sales were up 4.3% from previous year (600,799 vehicles)

BMW says sales of its electrified vehicles increased by a third (31.8%) – mainly 192,646 BMWs and Minis – and the group reports meeting European Union CO2 fleet targets in 2020.

“Thanks to our Efficient Dynamics technologies and the more than 135,000 electrified vehicles we delivered in Europe, we overfulfilled our CO2 fleet targets in the EU and were even able to go below the mandatory limit by a few grams,” BMW AG customer, brands and sales management board member Pieter Nota says.

BMW pushing digitalisation due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions prompting customers to go contactless with online sales, the process being extended this year.

It has increased its electrified vehicle line-up to 13 models, available in 74 markets. By 2023, the group plans to almost double its line-up to 25 electrified vehicles, of which more than half will be fully electric.

This year sees a production start on the fully electric BMW iX in Dingolfing and the BMW i4 in Munich.

BMW says the Mini Electric has been in high demand with 17,580 vehicles sold.

Meanwhile, European EV sales have cushioned the fall for Groupe Renault as it watched its 2020 global sales drop 21.3% to fewer than three million vehicles in a market which declined by 14.2%.

Groupe Renault sold 2,949,849 vehicles globally in 15 markets.

It says the decline in group sales was mainly due to its high exposure in countries which were strictly confined and suspended their sales activities in the second quarter, as well as a slowdown in the fourth quarter, particularly in France.

The Zoe EV light hatchback saw 114% increase in year-on-year sales in 2020 to 100,657 units in Europe.

Overall, the Renault brand confirmed European EV leadership with 115,888 sales, and says the Kangoo Z.E. is the best-selling vehicle in the light commercial electric vehicle segment.

The Renault Twingo Electric and Dacia Spring will enhance the group’s EV offering this year.

“We are now focusing on profitability rather than sales volumes, with a higher net unit margin per vehicle in each of our markets. The first results are already visible in the second half of 2020, especially in Europe where the Renault brand is making progress in the most profitable sales channels and strengthening its leadership in the electric segment,” Groupe Renault chief executive officer Luca de Meo says.

Renault says it is starting 2021 with a higher level of orders than in 2019 and is expected to focus more on electrification.

It’s already involved in a joint hydrogen venture and plans to reveal its ‘Renaulution’ strategy this week.