A new or used vehicle will be recorded as a delivery once handed over to the end user. End users also include leaseholders under lease contracts with BMW Financial Services and – in the US and Canada – dealerships when they designate a vehicle as a service loaner or demonstrator vehicle. In the case of used vehicles, end users may include dealerships and other third parties when they purchase a vehicle at auction or directly from the BMW Group. Vehicles designated for the end user which suffer a total loss in transit are also recorded as deliveries. Deliveries may be made by BMW AG, one of its international subsidiaries, a BMW Group retail outlet, or independent dealerships. The vast majority of deliveries – and hence the reporting to BMW Group of deliveries – are made by independent dealerships. In the US and Canada, the period start and end dates for the reporting of deliveries deviate immaterially from the beginning and, respectively, end of calendar years or calendar quarters and instead follow industry-standard reporting calendars. In the German-language version of the BMW Group Report, the terms “Auslieferungen” (deliveries) and “Absatz” (sales) are used interchangeably.
