The performance arm of BMW anticipates sales of M vehicles with traditional engines will plummet below the 50% mark in 2027.
BMW M plans to sell more hybrid and pure electric cars than ICE vehicles by 2027 as the automaker's performance division looks to accelerate its efforts in the ever-growing segment.
This is according to BimmerToday, a German publication that spoke to BMW M boss Frank van Meel at the sidelines of an M2 and XM presentation. In 2023, the M division expects electrified vehicles to make up less than 20% of total sales. However, this is expected to grow in the coming years, and by 2027, the automaker anticipates the M sales of combustion-engined vehicles to fall to less than 50%. As electrification takes over, many buyers will simply want the quickest car, and the instant responses afforded by electric propulsion shame combustion cars.
BMW's M range has grown to accommodate electrified vehicles in recent years, with the XM and upcoming M5 employing hybrid power and the i4 M50 and iX M60 introducing fully-electric motivation to the self-proclaimed Most Powerful Letter in the World.
And it's not stopping there. This year, there are plans to introduce a high-performance variant of the i7, called the M70. The new 5 Series, due in 2023, will spawn an electric twin. The i5 will also be offered as an M50 sports sedan.
BMW M is also hard at work on the all-electric M3 successor. While this may sound like blasphemy to many M car fans, the automaker has already released a teaser detailing what the electric M car would be capable of, and it looks promising.
Environmental pressures may be a concern, but it's not the only reason behind BMW M's move into the electric segment. Most customers just want quick BMWs with razor-sharp handling, regardless of whether they are combustion-engined or EVs.
“Some say that [they're out] if we don't do V8s. But that's okay: I respect that,” said van Meel. “We've just been talking to customers, and the feedback is that 90-95% don't care what direction we take [with the] powertrain.”
CarBuzzspoke to van Meel about the future of M cars at a BMW event last year, where he told us that an electric M car has to drive and feel like a traditional Motorsport creation: “The goal is we're not going to make a car that is not better than the current one. And it has to drive like an M.” He added that “the next M3, even if it will be electric, has to be better than the current one, and the current one is currently leading the pack.”
The first electric car designed from scratch by the BMW M division will undoubtedly spur sales of electrified models. Traditionalists need not worry for now, though, as the automaker still has plans to keep combustion engines in production for a while longer. A report out of Germany suggests the company is developing new engines for its SUV lineup, which we assume will include M-badged performance SUVs like the next-generation X3 M.
Keyword: BMW M Will Sell More EVs Than Combustion Cars By 2027