Despite a 9.5% drop in global vehicle deliveries from January to September of 2022, which is attributed to semiconductor shortages, the BMW Group still improved its profit before tax by a massive 54% to a total of R363.4 billion.
The group comprises the BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce brands.
As supply-chain snarls and component hiccups force automakers to shift focus to their more profitable models, it’s no surprise that the most premium brand under the BMW umbrella, Rolls-Royce, was also the only one that registered an uptick in deliveries during the first nine months of this year.
According to the group’s third-quarter financial statements, shipments for the respective manufacturers during 2022 were recorded as follows:
| Brand | Deliveries Jan to Sept 2022 | Deliveries Jan to Sept 2021 | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| BMW | 1,533,866 | 1,703,068 | -9.9% |
| Mini | 209,271 | 224,838 | -6.9% |
| Rolls-Royce | 4,701 | 4,318 | 8.9% |
| Total | 1,747,838 | 1,932,224 | -9.5% |
BMW’s motorcycle division also experienced higher demand this year than the year before, with 159,333 two-wheelers delivered to new owners, up from 156,609.
Electric cars are on the up
Electric vehicles’ (EV) contributions to the group’s revenue were particularly significant in 2022, with deliveries of all-electric BMW and Mini models being up by 114.8% year-on-year to 128,195 units for the two brands combined.
Similarly, overall deliveries for hybrid (HEV) and plug-in hybrid (PHEV) models were significantly higher, climbing to 283,284 examples.
EVs were therefore responsible for 7.3% of the group’s total sales in 2022, up from 3.1% in 2021, whereas new-energy vehicles which also comprise HEV and PHEV cars claimed a share of 16.2% this year thus far, up from 12%.
What also bolstered the increased profits was BMW Group’s increased shareholding of China’s BMW Brilliance Automotive from 50% to 75% to the tune of R67 million.
BMW Brilliance manufactures cars primarily for the Chinese market at its two production plants as well as petrol engines and high-voltage batteries at a separate facility, and the business unit alone delivered an impressive 96,133 vehicles to customers in the period from 1 January to 10 February 2022 prior to its full consolidation into the BMW Group financial statements.
Keyword: BMW delivers fewer cars in 2022 than in 2021 – But makes 50% more money