BMW sales dip in 2022, targets 15% battery-electric sales this year

BERLIN (Reuters) -The BMW Group sold around 100,000 fewer cars in 2022 at 2.4 million vehicles, but more than doubled the proportion of fully-electric cars sold to reach almost 10% of total sales, a spokesperson said on Wednesday.

The German automaker plans to raise the share of battery electric vehicles in total sales to 15% in 2023, the person added.

The core BMW brand sold 2.1 million vehicles last year, down from a record 2.2 million in 2021, as COVID-19 lockdowns in China stymied supply and European inflation weighed on demand.

Still, BMW has so far offset the dip in sales volumes with higher prices, with third-quarter profits rising in 2022.

The carmaker will report full 2022 sales figures on Jan. 10.

(Reporting by Victoria WalderseeEditing by Paul Carrel and Mark Potter)