BMW becomes the e-car power

BMW is apparently the third largest electric car manufacturer in the world. Germany could soon move on to China

In terms of the number of electric cars and plug-in hybrids sold in 2016, BMW is the third-largest electric car manufacturer in the world. As the "Wirtschaftswoche" reported on the basis of a study, which it had determined in collaboration with the company consultancy McKinsey, the Bavarian premium manufacturer had been ranked sixth since 2015 and is today with a world market share of 7 percent behind Tesla (9 percent) Manufacturer BYD (13 percent).

Volkswagen had sold less e-cars last year than in 2015 and is therefore now only sixth with a market share of 5 per cent. Even worse, BMW's rival Daimler cut off: In a worldwide comparison, the Stuttgart Group is now just 15th.

As the "WiWo" reported, the market for e-cars and plug-in hybrids in 2016 grew by 37 percent worldwide. By far the most e-cars are driving in Norway, 24 percent of the 2016 registered cars in the country have an electric drive. According to absolute figures, China is ahead: 352,000 electric cars were sold there, equivalent to 69 % more than in the previous year.

Production of the BMW i3_The Bavarian coach
 is the third largest electric  car manufacturer
in the world (Photo:BMW)

Germany can overtake China

A total of 872,905 electric vehicles were produced worldwide in 2016; 43 percent of them in China, 23 percent in Germany and 17 percent in the USA. The "Economic Week" quotes Nicolai Müller, a partner at McKinsey: "China is the country with the largest model diversity with 75 E models, as well as a combination of financial incentives and advantages such as easier admission in the big cities as an accelerator." In addition, the country is massing its column column.

But there is also hope for the German cars: McKinsey assumes that from 2019 onwards more electric cars will be produced here than in China. Since 2010, corporate consulting has evaluated the global demand and production of electric cars in the "Electric Vehicle Index" (EVI).