BMW to phase out some Gen5 EVs early as Neue Klasse ramps up, cuts 2026 margin outlook

BMW Group said high demand for its Neue Klasse cars and extra production shifts allow it to retire selected Gen5 battery models ahead of plan, part of wider measures that will weigh on fourth-quarter earnings and cost around 2.5 percentage points of full-year Automotive margin. The all-electric share of deliveries is now forecast to rise slightly in 2026 instead of holding steady, while total car deliveries are expected to fall moderately. Chief Financial Officer Walter Mertl said all-electric deliveries grew 7.2% to more than 110,000 in the third quarter, one in five cars sold, while total deliveries fell 6.3% to 551,075. Chairman Milan Nedeljković said the iX3 reaches China this month, Gen6 battery output in Woodruff, South Carolina, starts before year-end and another fully electric BMW for Europe's entry premium segment follows in 2028.