BMW confirms seven billion euro profit for 2025
More M cars, more Minis and more EVs - despite everything, the situation is good at BMW
Good news isn’t exactly forthcoming from the automotive industry right now. But BMW, ahead of a hugely important year that sees the Neue Klasse range of cars reach customers, has been able to report a very positive 2025. There’s good news pretty much everywhere, with profits stable, costs down, sales up and shareholders set to get a decent payout.
The headline sales number was 2,463,681, or 0.5 per cent up on 2024. That was split across 288,278 Minis (up from less than 250k in 2024), 5,664 Rolls-Royces (down a few dozen from the year before), 202,563 motorbikes and 2,169,739 Bimmers. A reduction in expenses of a substantial €2.5bn meant that even with reduced revenue (€133.5bn against more than 140 for 2024), profit remained pretty stable: down three per cent, but €7.45 billion in the current climate feels very strong. Having gone big on electrification but also kept a wealth of other powertrain options, surely at considerable expense, BMW is reaping some of the rewards. As Chairman Oliver Zipse puts it: “Over the past years, we have adopted the right strategic positioning. We are benefiting from that today: In a challenging environment, we do not need to change direction but can maintain our course and continue implementing our strategy systematically.”
So as reported previously, M cars of every (tricolour) stripe are now one in 10 BMW sales for the first time. Milestones also reached in 2025 included the three millionth electrified vehicle, with 642,071 of them (so pure EVs and plug-ins) sold last year alone. Globally BMW actually increased its BEV sales a few percentage points to 442,056, with one in six BMWs purely battery powered and one in three Mins. The fleet CO2 average is already 90g/km (without pooling or temporal staggering), which looks impressive given there are still V12 Rolls-Royces and solely combustion M cars around.
So BMW looks in good shape, which is more than can be said for some right now. Overall sales for 2026 are expected to match that of last year, with EVs set to account for the same sort of share (meaning the two million milestone will be passed). There will be 20 fully electric models available by then, including the first Neue Klasse cars, but BMW understandably doesn’t want to overpromise and underdeliver on electric take up. Soon after that hydrogen power will join the line up as well. BMW suggests it is ‘laying the foundation to meet globally diverse requirements and customer needs, both today and in the future.’ Hopefully that can still include straight sixes of some kind for as long as possible; in a world of very dreary combustion engines, BMW’s calling card is more compelling than ever. Zipse concluded: “Strategic vision, strong operating performance and high reliability have always been hallmarks of the BMW Group. We set our course for the company’s future success early on, relying on three strong pillars: our technology-neutral approach, our extensive global footprint and our inspiring brands and products.”
I have this feeing that the BMW group seems like a strong candidate for survival as we go forward to a new future, perhaps it is the family involvement though that has hardly benefited VW, but BMW back in the day I knew the company, seemed to have long term perspective, so happy to explore and innovate but less prone to leaping all over a trend till they were sure?
I'm not saying they always get it right, but by putting their core values first they still make seemingly desirable products rather than virtuous statements, and the iX3 is sold out till January a dealer told me yesterday.
Terrible industry to be in, walking a tightrope for tiny margins and one mistake can bugger you up for a decade or more. I get the impression they're making hay while the sun is shining in preparation for some difficult times ahead.
The styling is not to everyones (anyones?) tastes but the cars themselves are extremely good and they appear to be well over some of the more egregious quality and engineering problems of the past too. I can't think of anyone with a more complete range of cars right now, with stuff for people that just want the badge and "imagine" while still having niche stuff like the RWD 2 series models for the PHer market.
Turns out I was right and so I'm awarding myself a gold internet star.
A well run company that puts cars they can't sell before profit.
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