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BMW is not ready to let go of internal-combustion engines just yet

The German automaker is being patient but deliberate in its shift to EVs

Andrew Robichaud
Sep 30, 2021  •  October 1, 2021  •  2 minute read  •  Join the conversation
2022 BMW iX xDrive50.
2022 BMW iX xDrive50. Photo by BMW

As the tides of the automotive industry shift to electric vehicles, BMW isn’t in a rush to ride the first wave.

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It’s not for lack of interest in a more sustainable line of vehicles. Instead, the German automaker is being patient as the global electric vehicle infrastructure continues to evolve and stabilize while the company’s internal processes and work forces prepare for the imminent future alongside combustion engines.

Speaking with Automotive News Europe this past week, BMW development chief Frank Weber was adamant that the company would take its time to pivot its commitments to electric vehicles in the long term and focus on its current line of ICE vehicles for the time being.

“For electric mobility, the question is not when the combustion engine is ending,” Weber told News. “The question is: When is the system ready to absorb all those battery-electric vehicles? It’s about charging infrastructure, renewable energy. Are people ready? Is the system ready? Is the charging infrastructure ready? All of that.”

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A perceived lack of preparedness to handle an influx of electric vehicles is enough reason for Weber and BWM to pause, highlighting that moving to an all-electric line of vehicles will force drivers to buy into a system that can’t quite handle the demand and force employees to switch to an entirely new platform without enough time to understand the direction and value.

“It has also to do with the fact that I have people working for me on combustion engines and I’m shifting them over time into electric,” Weber added. “It makes no sense to make the transition overnight. I have to make sure that this transition works perfectly — for both social reasons and economic reasons.”

Despite the longer-tailed strategy, BMW still has big plans in the EV space and is currently developing a single electric-focused architecture for almost the entire lineup, from the 2 Series to the X7.

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