BMW won't ditch petrol and diesel as electric revolution takes hold

The BMW Group won’t follow rival brands in announcing end dates for its internal combustion engines.

Frank Weber, member of the board of management for BMW Group development, told media we can expect petrol and diesel engines to co-exist with electrified offerings for the foreseeable future, and said “we will not announce any end date of the combustion engine”.

“What you see today is how we master the powertrain flexibility as part of our strategy… people don’t have to make powertrain choices and then with it, make vehicle choices,” Mr Weber said.

“They just say; ‘I take whatever my preference is’ and still get a 5 Series [for example]. It’s a true advantage for us.”

“So you will also see in the future, that whether we make an ICE offering or a pure BEV offering, they will co-exist in markets because you see a large share of ICE and a [growing] large share of BEV, and I think we will manage [this] in the future for the next 10-15 years.”

“We will make sure the technology and the foundation of the technology that is being used is actually available throughout the portfolio. One this is important to us – we will not announce any end date of the combustion engine,” Mr Weber added.

In contrast, arch-rivals Audi and Mercedes-Benz have announced dates for a switch to EV-only lineups, albeit both with caveats.

Mercedes-Benz announced two years ago that it would be electric-only by 2030 “where market conditions allow”.

Audi, meanwhile, will phase out its combustion-engined models by 2033 in all markets except China, though it “will ultimately be decided by customers and legislation”.

From a legislative angle, the UK has announced an internal combustion engine ban on new vehicles from 2030, while the European Union is implementing such a ban from 2035.

Germany pushed back on the EU’s proposal, expressing concerns with what it considers the law’s lack of adequate consideration for the role of e-fuels in a carbon-neutral future, thereby stalling the vote.

The ban was subsequently approved and announced with an exemption for vehicles powered by e-fuels.

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