{"id":29200,"date":"2022-08-15T05:57:23","date_gmt":"2022-08-15T09:57:23","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=29200"},"modified":"2022-08-15T05:57:23","modified_gmt":"2022-08-15T09:57:23","slug":"bmw-promises-groundbreaking-hybrid-electric-m-cars","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/autosector.com\/?p=29200","title":{"rendered":"BMW Promises Groundbreaking Hybrid And Electric M Cars"},"content":{"rendered":"

Although we\u2019ve seen the \u201cM\u201d badge on a couple of cars that lack combustion engines, the i4 M50 and iX M60 pictured here are not full-fat M models. The already announced i7 M70<\/a> arriving next year with 660 horsepower on tap won\u2019t be either, and it\u2019s still unclear when we\u2019ll see one. However, it\u2019s a matter of when rather than if since electrification is inevitable and the combustion engine has entered the last stage of its life cycle.<\/p>\n

M boss Frank van Meel<\/a> told Autocar<\/em> he would \u201clove to see electrified Ms in the future \u2013 hybrid and electric.\u201d The German luxury marque won\u2019t rush things through as it\u2019ll wait until its zero-emissions performance models will be groundbreaking. So much so that people are going to say: \u201cThis is crazy, I didn\u2019t see it coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

The M division\u2019s head honcho isn\u2019t concerned about losing customers with the gradual transition to EVs since internal studies have revealed as many as 95% of buyers don\u2019t care about what powers their cars \u2013 \u201cThey just want an M car.\u201d He went on to admit some people will switch brands with the demise of the V8, and \u201che respects that.\u201d<\/p>\n

It should be pointed out BMW is one of the few brands that still has expressed its commitment to combustion engines. In fact, the M division has pledged to keep the inline-six and V8 engines alive until at least the end of this decade<\/a>. By 2030, how many ICEs will have been left anyway? It\u2019s especially true in the case of large-displacement engines as sports cars have already been bitten by the downsizing bug.<\/p>\n

Stricter emissions regulations have already killed the V12 in a BMW<\/a> (yes, it\u2019s still available in a Rolls-Royce)<\/em>, and Euro 7 is expected to make ICE cars more expensive, prompting automakers to discontinue some models and just focus solely on EVs instead.<\/p>\n

Autocar<\/em> speculates the next-generation M3 will be the first electric BMW M car. The Neue Klasse<\/a> dedicated platform will debut in 2025 with a 3 Series Sedan-sized EV, which the British publication claims will go on to receive the fully fledged M treatment. For now, Frank van Meel only says that \u201cmaybe it will go electric.\u201d If it\u2019ll happen, the super sedan will remain an M3 through and through.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, the M2 G87<\/a> debuting in October will serve as the last series production BMW to be powered exclusively by a combustion engine. It\u2019s likely going to spawn hotter ICE-only derivatives down the line, but the G87 will represent the last of the breed.<\/p>\n

Source: Autocar<\/a><\/p>\n