MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - BMW sold around 2.4 million cars last year - nearly 100,000 fewer than the previous year. However, sales of fully electric vehicles more than doubled, the automaker announced in Munich on Wednesday. As a result, the share of all-electric BMWs and Minis in total sales approached 10 percent. The target for the current year is a 15 percent share, BMW said.

Incoming orders for the BMW i4, iX, iX1 and i7 e-models were very high, a spokeswoman said. She did not comment on incoming orders for the iX3 and Mini Cooper SE.

Semiconductor shortages, the Corona lockdowns in China and inflation in Europe had slowed production and demand last year. BMW's core brand sold 2.1 million cars, down from 2.2 million a year earlier. "We are very proud that the BMW brand remains No. 1 in the global premium segment," the group said, referring to Stuttgart-based rival Mercedes-Benz, which had been No. 1 for several years./rol/DP/jha