BMW says ICE has reached ‘tipping point’, but manual safe
Future sales growth for BMW all with EVs, but M2, M3 and M4 to stick with manual gearbox for nowBMW says it has reached the “tipping point” for combustion-powered vehicle sales and that from now on electric cars will be the chief driver of growth.
Speaking to newswire Reuters, BMW chief financial officer Walter Mertl said the Bavarian car-maker was now expecting a gradual decline in petrol and diesel-powered vehicle sales.
“The tipping point for the combustion engine is already there,” he said.
“The current sales plateau for combustion cars will continue and then fall slightly.”
The fall in favour of ICE cars has been attributed to looming environmental regulations in global regions like China, the European Union and some US states.
In response, BMW says it has already accelerated the development and production of EVs.
All-electric cars accounted for 15 per cent of the car-maker’s total global sales volume in 2023, with the BMW i4 M50 its best-selling car for the second year in a row.
Come 2026, BMW says more than a third of its sales will be EVs, thanks largely to the introduction of six new members of its next-generation ‘Neue Klasse’ family including a battery-powered X3 replacement in 2025.
With the tailing off of ICE vehicles sales, Mertl admitted that higher costs involved in developing EVs could see a downturn in profits, at least initially.
Despite announcing the beginning of the end of combustion-powered BMWs, Mertl did have some good news for traditionalists by confirming that a manual transmission would continue to be offered on the M2, M3 and M4.
That’s despite other car-makers, like Volkswagen, withdrawing the manual gearbox on its performance models like the Golf GTI in some markets.
According to Mertl, 15-20 per cent of all M3 and M4 cars are now sold with the six-speed manual, with an even higher mix for its entry M2.
Related: BMW 3 Series and X3 to be transformed by ‘Neue Klasse’ platform
Join the conversation at
Or email us at
Or email us at
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
