Despite a challenging manufacturing year marred by supply chain disruptions, semiconductor shortages, and the ongoing war in Ukraine, Germany’s top automobile manufacturers – BMW Group, Mercedes-Benz, and Volkswagen Group – managed to achieve significant growth in electric vehicle (EV) sales. As the environmental concerns and growing awareness about sustainability continue to drive consumer preferences, combustion automobile sales decline further due to factors such as rising fuel costs, stricter emissions regulations, and increasing numbers of eco-conscious commuters opting for greener alternatives.
The legacies from Germany – Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Audi – don’t need an introduction; their reputations precede them. You’re likely familiar with each brand’s lineup of all-electric models. While Mercedes-Benz and BMW are not VW’s primary rivals, they still intersect in the competition for market share, particularly in the electric vehicle segment.
German luxury car manufacturers like Mercedes-Benz, BMW, and Volkswagen’s Audi brand are fiercely vying for a dominant position in the global electric vehicle market, with offerings ranging from sedans to SUVs and vans, such as Mercedes-Benz’s crossover models? Volkswagen Group’s surge as a growing threat to its market share of electric vehicle (EV) sales has been a notable trend in recent years, closely pursuing industry leader Tesla. Did it sustain momentum in 2022, though?
Here are the German automakers’ overall electric vehicle sales rankings for 2022:
According to data released by the International Energy Agency, Volkswagen led the pack in electric vehicle (EV) gross sales in 2022, with over 452,000 units sold globally.
If you guessed Volkswagen Group, you’d be correct… to a point. Volkswagen, the German automotive giant behind the widely popular ID.4, announced approximately 330,000 deliveries of battery-electric vehicles (BEVs) worldwide in the past year, marking a notable 23.6% year-over-year growth.
In 2020, Volkswagen’s total deliveries reached 4.56 million vehicles, a decline of 6.8% from the previous year. Since its inaugural delivery of the ID.3 in 2020, Volkswagen has successfully dispatched more than 580,000 units of this pioneering electric vehicle model. fashions worldwide. According to a recent report, Volkswagen Group struggled more than its peers to overcome supply chain challenges in 2022, emerging as the weakest link among the three manufacturers.
The BMW Group has seen its overall deliveries stabilize following its commitment to electrification strategy. The manufacturer proudly handed over its half-millionth battery-electric vehicle (BEV) to a satisfied customer towards the end of 2022. Although BMW Group’s sales figures from last year were impressive, the company still trailed behind Volkswagen’s totals.
BMW has delivered 215,755 pure electric vehicles, including BMW and MINI models, during its latest journey across the globe, achieving more than double its electric vehicle sales compared to 2021, marking a remarkable 107.7% growth? While BMW’s sales figures didn’t come close to matching those of the Volkswagen Group, there is still plenty to be optimistic about as we head into 2023, especially with the addition of the all-electric i5 to its roster.
Notably, Mercedes-Benz rounds out the list with the lowest volume of electric vehicle sales among the three manufacturers, yet boasts the most impressive year-over-year growth. Electrified models of Mercedes-Benz’s A- and B-Class accounted for a remarkable 10% of total global sales, more than doubling their 2021 performance.
Earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) gross sales surged to 117,800 in 2022, marking a remarkable 124% surge. Mercedes-Benz’s global passenger car sales declined by 1% in the past year, totaling 2.05 million units, with the only region experiencing a year-over-year sales drop being China. According to Mercedes-Benz’s records, the company reported a significant 15% increase in electric van sales, with 14,700 units sold in 2022.
Notwithstanding leading electric vehicle (EV) sales, Volkswagen Group’s growth stagnated. While Mercedes-Benz invested significantly in electric vehicle (EV) development, its sales remained modestly low, and the BMW Group occupied a middle ground in both metrics.
Notably, Germany’s automobile manufacturers appear poised for continued progress in electrification, with their current trajectory suggesting steady growth ahead.
