While some automakers are already delaying their lofty EV goals, BMW never set an end date for combustion cars in the first place. Sure, MINI and Rolls-Royce have pledged to go fully electric around 2030 but the core brand has refrained from setting such objectives. In a new interview, the Head of Product & Brand Management for BMW said the ICE is sticking around.
Speaking with Autocar magazine, Bernd Körber declared BMW will retain and update its front- and rear-wheel-drive platforms. The gasoline and diesel engines will be tweaked to comply with stricter emissions regulations. Concomitantly, the electric-only Neue Klasse platform is roughly a year away from debuting in a production vehicle.
Doing both allows BMW to build itself a safety net. If the market dictates EVs are what people want, the luxury automaker will have that segment covered with Neue Klasse-based products. At least six models will be out by 2028. In addition, the existing EVs built on platforms shared with combustion cars are sticking around. As a matter of fact, even more could be on the way. The X5, X6, and X7 are expected to get CLAR-based electric derivatives. Think iX5, iX6, and iX7.
If people want gasoline to power their cars for the long haul, BMW will continue to offer a mix of three-, four-, six-, and eight-cylinder engines. The V8s are likely to die sooner than the others due to stricter emissions laws, especially in Europe. The diesel engine is seemingly sticking around as well since the 2025 X3 unveiled yesterday has a 20d xDrive variant with the “B47” motor.
“For the foreseeable future, we’re into a technology-flexible approach, which is why we planned to build all drivetrains on one production line. If a market shifts in one direction, we don’t have to close a plant or reduce a shift. We just shift to another drivetrain,” said Bernd Körber.
BMW still projects sales of EVs will match those of gasoline/diesel cars by the end of the decade. That’s even though zero-emission vehicles only accounted for 14.7% of the BMW Group’s total shipments in 2023. Earlier this year, CEO Oliver Zipse said EVs will represent 50% of all sales by 2030.
The 3 Series, BMW’s bread and butter, is widely believed to receive a next-generation model with combustion engines. The G50 sedan and G51 wagon are likely scheduled to arrive around 2027. There might even be another M3 sedan (G84) with an inline-six.
Source: Autocar