- BMW execs think that EV sales may slow in the US, but are ready with ICE and Hybrid options.
- The brand has no plans of killing off their V8s, as customers like the “smoothness, sound and feeling.”
- Nevertheless, it remains committed to EVs and has seen positive growth with their current strategy.
BMW is ready to strap in as it predicts a rollercoaster ride over the next few years when it comes to electrification. But unlike some of its peers, the company has been geared up to keep the internal combustion engine alive for some time to come. This multipronged approach may be of particular importance now, as the industry works out how best to navigate a new era – particularly in the US, where Donald Trump, who has been vocal regarding his opinion on electric vehicles, returned as president.
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Read: 2027 BMW 3-Series: Everything We Know About The Neue Klasse
Speaking to the Financial Times, BMW board member Jochen Goller hinted that US sales of EVs may slow, but the company remains optimistic about gas-powered and plug-in hybrid numbers. And with 65 percent of BMWs sold Stateside being locally built, the company is less exposed to the risk of tariffs.
V8s Will Stay For The US
BMW’s approach to the future of powertrain development has been broader than that of some rivals, such as VW and Mercedes, who put more stock into an EV boom. However, the blue and white roundel’s strategy of continued investment into ICE and hybrid options, alongside EV development, has so far lent itself well.
The big news for fans of big engines is that BMW’s V8s will be sticking around, at least for customers in the US and Middle East. “There are markets such as the US and Middle East where you cannot replace V8s with inline-six hybrids,” said Frank Weber, a board member of BMW, speaking to Automotive News. “This is not about performance. They are comparable in terms of acceleration, but customers like the smoothness, sound and feeling of a V8. We will continue to offer V8s.”
Europe may not be so lucky, with the EU’s strict emissions regulations coming into play. However, Weber confirmed that some European markets will still be getting diesel-powered options for the foreseable future, with the Bavarian automaker continuing to develop the oil burners and looking for more ways to keep them clean.
Non-Segregated EVs Prove To Be A Hit
BMW may have learned from its toe-in-the-water experiment with the i3 that markedly differentiating their EVs from other cars in the lineup wasn’t a successful strategy. With its latest crop of EVs, the company has opted to make their EV offerings look far more similar to their combustion options.
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Sales of its EVs rose by 13.5 percent last year and accounted for 17 percent of total volume. “We anticipated that people wouldn’t want to be discriminated against because of the power train,” Goller said. “We’ve gone the path which others are now following.”
That trend is set to continue as BMW launched its Neue Klasse platform, with plans to introduce their software-heavy EVs alongside combustion and hybrids, with all models `retaining the same character` despite adopting different types of powertrains.
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