Although the coronavirus pandemic hindered production, BMW remained the largest US automotive exporter in 2020.
According to the US Department of Commerce, BMW Group leads the US market in automobile shipments for the seventh straight year. The Bavarian brand shipped 218,820 vehicles with an export value of more than $8.9 billion in 2020. Moreover, it produced 361,365 vehicles, out of which 218,000 units in the second half of 2020, a brand record.
“Claiming the top spot once again for US automotive exports is a direct result of the commitment and dedication of the Plant Spartanburg team during the challenging 2020 production year. Despite the difficult conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic, the plant was able to set a new production record in the second half of the year. This not only demonstrates the strong appeal of our products but also the exceptional flexibility and outstanding performance capabilities of our production network,” stated Milan Nedeljković, BMW AG’s member of the Board of Management.
The BMW X3 xDrive30e and BMW X5 xDrive45e plug-in hybrids saw a significant production hike. Notably, these two models combined made up 13% of the total production at the factory. Talking in numbers, BMW manufactured 23,000 X3s and 24,000 X5s.
Not shockingly, the US was indeed BMW M’s strongest market, followed by China. In both countries, the company set new sales records. Meanwhile, Russia and South Korea boosted revenues by more than 60%, and Italy saw a rise of 47%. Sales in the UK also increased, albeit BMW didn’t provide any figure.
Vehicles are shipped via the Port of Charleston (over 189,000 units) and five other docks in the south-east. Furthermore, BMW has transported over 13,000 vehicles via railway.
BMW is the current champ, but it should be quite careful with the rapidly increasing export numbers of Ford and GM. Tesla is also on the rise and might soon overtake the German brand.
