BMW to maintain ICEs until the end of the decade

BMW and Daimler recently faced a lawsuit from a German NGO for not dropping ICEs by 2030. Following this, the Munich-based manufacturer firmly stands by its plans to maintain ICE vehicles in its lineup until the end of the decade. Frank Weber, Development Chief at BMW, asserted the company’s position in his recent interview with Automotive News Europe. He said, “We’re upgrading our engines for Euro 7, and we’ll keep providing them to interested customers.”

While most automakers are racing to make the shift to an all-electric lineup, this plan by BMW seems to be an interesting strategy. Audi announced it will end their production of new ICE cars by 2026, Mercedes-Benz in 2030, but only where markets allow it. Meanwhile, other carmakers have even more stringent timetables. Many automakers are making this change due to the Euro 7 standard, stricter regulation than previous standards. In most cases, this will force many of them to discontinue particular engines entirely.

But according to BMW, this will not be the case in Munich since the firm is ready to upgrade its engines to meet the new requirement. Moreover, the rapid transition to an all-electric personal mobility future raises potential drawbacks.

The purely electric mobility world is such a major shift. Are we ready to handle the problems it brings? “When will the system be able to handle the influx of battery-powered cars? Charge infrastructure and renewable power are important considerations in this scenario. Are people ready for this? Is the system all set? Is the infrastructure for recharging ready?” said Weber.

These questions make sense, and it is possible that resolving them will be more complicated than initially thought. For one, Europe is currently dealing with a massive increase in energy prices. However, this is not necessarily due to an increase in sales of electrified vehicles on the continent. It is also possible that some users will switch to a petrol/diesel vehicle once they realise how much it costs to “fill up” an electric car. Meanwhile, the question of infrastructure remains unresolved.

On the other hand, BMW will continue to put money into making its engines cleaner in the interim. They will also continue to utilise internal combustion engines until the end of the decade. And according to Weber, the company’s major investment in ICEs will likely be its last. Simultaneously, BMW is developing a new modular electric architecture called Neue Klasse, which will underlie most of its future electric cars starting in 2025.