BMW global deliveries fall 4.9% in Q2 as China sales crash 30% to 117,815 units

China sales plunge 30% in Q2

BMW Group's global deliveries fell 4.9% in the second quarter to 590,962 vehicles, the company reported on 10 July. The primary drag was a 30% drop in China, where luxury demand is being squeezed by a prolonged property crisis. Deliveries in the country slumped to just 117,815 cars. A year earlier, BMW had still posted a modest rise for the second quarter, underscoring the suddenness of the downturn. For the first half of the year, the group sold 1,156,742 vehicles across its BMW, Mini and Rolls‑Royce brands, a decline of 4.2% over the same period in 2025. China sales in the half-year fell 20.4% to 261,773 units, while the rest of Asia also weakened. Handelsblatt noted that BMW's new car registrations in China hit their lowest level in at least six years.

Europe and the US provide a counterweight

While China stumbled, other major markets expanded. In Europe, first‑half group sales rose 5.4% to 496,651 units, driven by a 10.2% jump in Germany to 149,135 cars. The US market grew 3.9% to 200,661 vehicles. In the second quarter alone, Europe posted a 5.4% increase to 260,173 cars and the US surged 9.5% to 134,405, but neither was nearly enough to offset the Chinese shortfall.

Jochen Goller, the BMW board member responsible for sales, said the company managed to lift deliveries in the Americas and Europe despite the global headwinds. He also pointed to the momentum of the Neue Klasse family, which began with the iX3 last September.

"Despite global challenges, we managed to increase sales in the United States and Europe. Neue Klasse models continue to show strong momentum, after the iX3 inaugurated this new era last September."

Electric models advance, but hybrids slip

All‑electric deliveries of BMW and Mini vehicles reached 116,807 units in the second quarter, a 5.2% gain year‑on‑year. In Germany, the brand climbed to second place in battery‑electric registrations during the quarter. However, the broader electrified category, which includes plug‑in hybrids, fell 7.4% in the first half to 295,407 units, reflecting softening demand for plug‑in hybrids.

Profit warning darkens the outlook

The sustained weakness in China, its biggest single market, forced BMW to issue a profit warning on 13 June. The group now expects pre‑tax profit for the full year 2026 to decline by more than 15%, abandoning its earlier forecast of only a slight contraction. The Handelsblatt report added that the entire German auto industry is suffering from China's margin squeeze, with Mercedes also registering lower sales in the region despite gains elsewhere. BMW's stock had already come under pressure following the profit warning.

Brand performance: Mini shines, Rolls‑Royce stumbles

The group's three marques performed unevenly in the first half. The core BMW brand delivered 1,004,681 cars, a drop of 6.2%. Mini, benefiting from refreshed models, grew 11.7% to 149,538 units. Ultra‑luxury Rolls‑Royce sales fell 9.8% to only 2,523 cars. The mix underscores how China's troubles hit the high‑end segments hardest.