BMW electric car sales hit 100,000 mark; still lags Nissan, Tesla

BMW is celebrating an important milestone for its 'i' badge marking its electric cars, which now adorns more than 100,000 electrified vehicles sold across the globe.

The achievement was reached three years after the i3 first arrived on the market in November 2013. The urban hatchback accounts for the lion's share of BMW's total EV and plug-in hybrid sales, collectively reaching more than 60,000 customers.

Sales growth for the i3 may not have lived up to the most optimistic forecasts, but BMW proudly points out that it is the most successful EV in the premium compact segment. The narrow focus avoids a comparison with the full-size Tesla Model S, which approached 150,000 units a few months ago. The Nissan Leaf still retains a wide lead for EVs in general, surpassing 230,000 units.

BMW's i8 enjoys its status as the most popular electrified sports car, tallying more than 10,000 delivers since its mid-2014 launch. The remaining 30,000 vehicles in the milestone are iPerformance plug-in hybrids.

"When it comes to electric drivetrains, we've already successfully managed to put this technology transfer on the road," said BMW chief Harald Krueger. "The next technological advance we will address is automated driving, where the BMW iNext will set a new benchmark."

The company recently confirmed plans to produce a plug-in hybrid MINI Countryman next year. An open-top i8 Roadster will follow in 2018, ahead of a fully electric MINI in 2019 and an X3 EV at the turn of the decade. A battery-powered crossover will further expand the i-Series in 2021.