BMW Strengthens Luxury EV Leadership as EV Mix Rises to 26%, Sells 2,359 EVs in H12026

BMW Group India’s aggressive push into electric mobility has emerged as the biggest driver behind its rise to the top of India’s luxury car market, with electric vehicles accounting for more than a quarter of its sales in the first half of 2026.
The automaker sold 2,359 electric vehicles between January and June, registering a 78% year-on-year growth. EVs contributed 26% of BMW Group India’s total sales, up from 21% a year ago, reinforcing its position as the country's largest luxury EV brand with a 69% market share in the segment.

“Looking back at H1, there are four things which really worked for us. Number one is the electric strategy that we embarked on a few years back, that has really given us a very good benefit. Last year, we got 21% penetration on EVs in our portfolio. It has improved to 26% now, which means more and more electric portfolios coming into play, so that has been our mainstay,” BMW President and CEO Hardeep Singh Brar told Autocar Professional. 

According to BMW, electric variants are now outselling their internal combustion engine (ICE) counterparts in some of its most important product lines.

“We have two big models in our electric portfolio. One is the 7 series, where we have i7, and then iX1 and X1. So in both the models, our EV contribution is 60%. I don't think you will see any other model in the portfolio of any other manufacturer in India, where the EV portfolio sells more than the ICE equivalent model and that too for a model where you have both of them available. So this is very unique to us,” he said. 

Brar attributed the growing acceptance of luxury EVs to improving technology, expanding charging infrastructure and changing customer perceptions, particularly among diesel buyers.

“I think there are a couple of factors why the EV narrative is getting attention. One point is because if there is so much noise going on in social media, it will naturally push customers towards the safest option because EV is phenomenal and away from all the noise which is going around. And also the recent fuel prices increase because of the West Asia crisis has also kind of created uncertainty in consumers' mind,” he said. He added that higher driving range and faster charging are also reducing traditional barriers to EV adoption.

“I think the biggest concern on EVs was the range anxiety. So the range is increasing for EVs. Now it is north of 500 kilometres and the charging infrastructure is getting better. And very importantly, the fast charging infrastructure is getting better and you'll see a lot of 120 kilowatt chargers which can charge your car in 30 minutes to one hour, which is making things very easy for the electric car buyers,” he said. 

BMW also believes customers are increasingly moving away from diesel vehicles as regulations tighten in several markets. “I see a lot of shift from the diesel customers coming towards EVs. So that is a big shift because A, the regulations are becoming stringent around diesel. You've already seen in Delhi, the registration duration is only 10 years versus 15 years for other models. And people are worried that if diesel regulation gets worse in other areas, that will become a problem. So EV is the safest haven,” he adds. 

To address concerns around resale value, one of the biggest hurdles in EV adoption, the company has introduced assured buyback programmes through its financing arm. “I think that is the biggest advantage that we have in BMW. And I would also attribute the reason for 26 percent penetration in our portfolio to the 360-degree programme that we have, which gives you an assured buy-back value after three years, four years, depending upon what you need. So that is really working in our favour and hence a very high penetration for the electric vehicles,” Brar said.