BMW Korea electrified sales top 10,000, a first for a premium import brand
In short
BMW Korea said it sold 10,335 electrified vehicles — battery-electric and plug-in hybrid — in the first nine months of the year, becoming the first premium import brand in Korea to pass 10,000. Battery-electric sales rose about 56% on the year to 6,681 units, while plug-in hybrids accounted for 3,654. The company also said it will expand its Korean charging network to 4,000 chargers by year-end.
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BMW Korea said it sold 10,335 electrified vehicles in the first nine months of the year, which it described as the first time a premium import brand in Korea has passed the 10,000 mark. The company announced the figures on Wednesday. Combined battery-electric and plug-in hybrid sales were about 20% higher than a year earlier and accounted for roughly 18% of BMW Korea's total sales of 57,929 units in the period, meaning more than one in six BMW vehicles sold in Korea was electrified. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Battery-electric vehicles drove the growth, rising about 56% year on year to 6,681 units and making up about 65% of electrified sales. Plug-in hybrids accounted for 3,654 units. The i5 electric sedan led with 2,382 units, while the 530e and 530e xDrive plug-in hybrids and the X5 xDrive50e each sold more than 1,200 units. BMW Korea attributed the expansion to placing electrified models across vehicle classes, from compact SAVs to large luxury sedans. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
On infrastructure, the company has installed 3,334 chargers nationwide under its Charging Next project announced in 2023 and plans to reach 4,000 by the end of the year. In June it installed four public 400kW ultra-fast chargers at the BMW Charging Hub Lounge near Seoul Station and at its driving centre on Yeongjong Island in Incheon, which Maeil Business and ZDNet Korea described as a first in Korea. [ 1 , 3 , 6 ]
BMW Group Korea said it has 480 high-voltage technicians and plans to increase the number to 530 by year-end and 650 by 2028. Eighty-three official service centres support electrified models, 42 of which handle high-voltage battery repair and accident work. The company also runs Proactive Care, which monitors battery status during charging and alerts drivers to signs such as overheating or overcharging. [ 1 , 3 , 6 ]
The company said it takes part in a battery anomaly detection and fire reporting pilot by the transport ministry, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and the National Fire Agency, and that it is the only import car company in the programme. It said it supported firefighter training on electric vehicle incident response in Incheon last November and in Seoul in May, and provided a New BMW iX3 as a practice vehicle at a Korea Transportation Safety Authority safety-rescue seminar this month. [ 3 , 6 ]
A BMW Korea official said the company will continue to expand its electrified lineup, charging infrastructure and service capacity so that more customers can choose electrified models with confidence. Newsis framed the milestone in its headline as the fastest pace among imported cars, while other outlets described BMW as the first premium import brand to pass 10,000 electrified sales this year. [ 3 , 4 , 5 ]
Why it matters
The figures indicate continued demand for electrified models in Korea's premium import segment, where BMW says it is the first brand to clear the 10,000 mark. The company's parallel spending on chargers, high-voltage repair staff and battery-safety cooperation points to infrastructure and after-sales service as a competitive front among import brands. The documents give no independent market data beyond BMW's own figures.
Key facts
- BMW Korea said it sold 10,335 electrified models (BEV and PHEV) in January–September, a first for a premium import brand in Korea. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- BEV sales rose about 56% year on year to 6,681 units, about 65% of electrified sales; PHEVs accounted for 3,654 units. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Combined electrified sales rose about 20% year on year and made up about 18% of BMW Korea's total sales of 57,929 units. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- The i5 was the top electrified model at 2,382 units; the 530e line and the X5 xDrive50e each sold more than 1,200 units. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- BMW Korea has built 3,334 chargers nationwide and plans to reach 4,000 by year-end under its Charging Next project announced in 2023. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- The company has 480 high-voltage technicians and plans 530 by year-end and 650 by 2028, with 83 service centres supporting electrified models, 42 of them for high-voltage battery work. [ 1 , 3 , 6 ]
- BMW Group Korea said it participates in a government pilot project on battery anomaly detection and fire reporting with the transport ministry, the Korea Transportation Safety Authority and the National Fire Agency. [ 3 , 6 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- BMW Korea sold 10,335 electrified vehicles in January–September and said it was the first premium import brand in Korea to exceed 10,000. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- BEV sales rose about 56% year on year to 6,681 units and made up about 65% of electrified sales, with PHEVs at 3,654 units. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Electrified sales rose about 20% year on year and accounted for about 18% of BMW Korea's total sales of 57,929 units in the same period. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- BMW Korea has installed 3,334 chargers nationwide and plans to expand to 4,000 by the end of the year. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- The company has 480 high-voltage technicians and plans to raise the number to 530 by year-end and 650 by 2028. [ 1 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
- Eighty-three official service centres support electrified model maintenance, 42 of which handle high-voltage battery repair and accident work. [ 1 , 3 , 6 ]
Still unclear
- Whether the 10,335 figure is a cumulative total or January–September sales. Most documents give the figure as January–September sales, but some describe it as cumulative (누적) electrified sales; the figures are identical.
- Newsis's headline describes the pace as the fastest among imported cars, while other outlets say BMW was the first premium import brand to pass 10,000. The different framings come from a single document whose article text was not available and did not concern this event, so the claim cannot be checked against the others.
- The company's claims, such as being the first premium import brand to pass 10,000 and the only import car company in the government battery pilot, rest on BMW Korea's own statements. No document cites independent market data or a government confirmation of these claims.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Asia Economy publishes BMW Korea's January–September electrified sales figures and infrastructure plans. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports BMW Korea as the first premium import brand to pass 10,000 electrified sales this year. [ 2 ]
- Maeil Business reports the milestone alongside plans to expand chargers to 4,000 by year-end. [ 3 ]
- Newsis reports the milestone, describing it as the fastest pace among imported cars. [ 4 ]
- Electronic Times reports the milestone, highlighting the 56% rise in EV sales. [ 5 ]
- ZDNet Korea reports the milestone and the company's charging and service investment. [ 6 ]