BMW EV China sales; not good

[97prizm]

Well, it's a tough market when the rules of entry require you to basically let your rivals commit industrial espionage against you so then they can make your product for less with the heavy subsidy of the Chinese gov't.

The mistake these companies are making is getting into the Chinese market in the first place.

Definitely. Tesla was the first automotive manufacturer that wasn't required to work with a local manufacturer.

 

[97prizm]

You don't suppose this problem would have had anything to do with the import duties?

From reading bmw builds its evs for the Chinese market in China.

 

[KrisZ]

Chinese buying China made EVs over foreign, who would’ve thought that could happen? I’m shocked I tell you, who do they think they are?

 

[JeffKeryk]

Chinese buying China made EVs over foreign, who would’ve thought that could happen? I’m shocked I tell you, who do they think they are?

There's more to it than that.
BMW EVs and traditional combustion vehicles are struggling in China due to:

• aggressive domestic competitors
• falling premium market demand
• current BMW EV models are mostly converted ICE platforms lacking dedicated EV architecture

This collapse has significantly impacted BMW's bottom line.

 

[OVERKILL]

• current BMW EV models are mostly converted ICE platforms lacking dedicated EV architecture

We've been over this it feels like 100 times. CLAR was not a "converted ICE platform", it was designed, from inception, to be multi-powertrain, which included EV/HEV/PHEV/ICE. Neue Klasse carries on this same philosophy, simply with more attention given to the EV use case.

Secondly, the iX WAS in fact built on a dedicated EV platform.

Ford "converted" (quite successfully, relatively speaking) an ICE platform (Escape) for the Mach-E. Ford has multiple platforms and architectures, as does GM, Stellantis, Honda, Toyota...etc. This shouldn't be unexpected for companies shipping multiple powertrain configurations and options (unlike Tesla, Rivian...etc).

I highly doubt that the use of CLAR for the i4 had any meaningful impact on sales in China. Domestic competition, and prices of that domestic competition, is likely the primary driver here.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I highly doubt that the use of CLAR for the i4 had any meaningful impact on sales in China. Domestic competition, and prices of that domestic competition, is likely the primary driver here.

Perhaps do some research; I did. I did not pull my post our of my hat...

The CLAR is, at best, a compromise. A pure play approach makes a better product. The CLAR is hardly an efficient EV product.
BMW is phasing out CLAR based electric models in the China markets and a shifting towards newer platforms like the Neue Klasse, which are specifically designed for electric vehicles.

But each to his/her own.

 

[97prizm]

There's more to it than that.
BMW EVs and traditional combustion vehicles are struggling in China due to:

• aggressive domestic competitors
• falling premium market demand
• current BMW EV models are mostly converted ICE platforms lacking dedicated EV architecture

This collapse has significantly impacted BMW's bottom line.

However I've found articles where the Chinese are starting to favor "Made in China " just like we push for "Made in the USA ".

 

[JeffKeryk]

However I've found articles where the Chinese are starting to favor "Made in China " just like we push for "Made in the USA ".

I'm sure you are right and this is part of the BMW troubles. But what's funny is, BMW has a significant manufacturing presence in China, not to mention engineering.

 

[alarmguy]

A bit overboard, Tesla experiences much of the same trouble here in the USA. 2025 sales down 8.6% Market share down about the same 8%. Meanwhile BMW hit their highest ever sales numbers in the USA and 3rd record year of continued sales growth vs Telsa 3 years of declines. https://www.greenville.com/news/202...ica-reports-full-year-2025-u-s-sales-results/

BMW China 2025 sales down 12.5% Tesla China sales down 4.78%
Not sure what they can do, luxury cars in China are possibly not as much a status symbol however, just because this moment in time a downturn who knows what will happen. Though we already know China is here to dominate the world and road block everything they can from outsiders.
Just drawing comparisons which is a bit out of whack as we are comparing a luxury brand BMW against Tesla. Two different markets.
But it does show how market forces change in different countries.

BTW Tesla China sales down 7.87% so far this year 2026.
(Im sure many do not know this do to lack of transparency)
https://cnevpost.com/2026/06/08/tesla-ends-two-month-retail-slump-china-may-2026/

 

[OVERKILL]

Perhaps do some research; I did. I did not pull my post our of my hat...

Bro, you JUST claimed CLAR was a "converted ICE" platform. Now you are telling me to "do some research". This feels like the anti-vax toilet mom meme manifest.

We've been over this. You continue to make the same erroneous claim. How am I supposed to take what you post seriously when you continue to do this?

The CLAR is, at best, a compromise.

Because it's a multi-powertrain platform, which was the point. Being a compromise is necessary in that context.

A pure play approach makes a better product.

The iX was a "Pure Play" EV platform. How were its sales in China?

The CLAR is hardly an efficient EV product.

That wasn't the argument being made.

BMW is phasing out CLAR based electric models in the China markets and a shifting towards newer platforms like the Neue Klasse, which are specifically designed for electric vehicles.

Neue Klasse is more of a "design philosophy", than a platform. Or I suppose it could be argued that it's a technology platform, developed with enabling the integration of modern powertrains in a more seamless manner and applied to both dedicated EV products, and CLAR-based vehicles. "Neue Klasse" tech will be part of non-EV BMW's going forward.

NCAR (the Neue Klasse platform) and "Neue Klasse" get used interchangeably, which is understandable, but what I've garnered is that while Neue Klasse brings with it NCAR as a dedicated EV platform, the Neue Klasse approach will be applied across the board for that consistency in tech, experience and design language that people expect from the brand. So whether a vehicle is underpinned by NCAR or CLAR, it will be "Neue Klasse" in terms of design language and experience.

The first NCAR-based vehicles, as noted in the linked article, will be "value focused" or "bread and butter" BMW offerings, intended to drive sales. This is not just for China, but globally. These should be less expensive to manufacture than CLAR-based EV's. CLAR will continue to be used for some of the upscale offerings, at least for the foreseeable future.

But each to his/her own.

Your assertion was not subjective, it was flat-out wrong, and we've gone over this many times, there is no "to each their own" in that context. CLAR is not a "converted ICE platform" no matter how many times you say it.