{"id":81325,"date":"2026-08-29T23:17:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T23:17:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/81325\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T23:17:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T23:17:13","slug":"bmw-m-is-building-evs-not-because-it-has-to-but-because-it-wants-to","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/81325\/","title":{"rendered":"BMW M Is Building EVs Not Because It Has To, But Because It Wants To"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n BMW M boss Frank van Meel says the company does “not decide for our customers what they have to drive” <\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.carscoops.com\/author\/bradcarscoops-com\/
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by Brad Anderson<\/a><\/p>\n

2 hours ago<\/p>\n

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The company will offer customers both electric and combustion-powered models.<\/p>\n

BMW<\/a>\u2018s electric M3 will have four electric motors and advanced torque vectoring.<\/p>\n

The electric model will be sold alongside the next-gen combustion-powered M3.<\/p>\n

BMW\u2019s all-electric M3<\/a> is just around the corner, debuting a couple of months ago as a concept and set to be sold alongside the combustion model we all know and love. While it\u2019d be easy to assume the EV<\/a>, perhaps badged the iM3, is only being built for regulatory compliance, the German brand insists that\u2019s not the case.<\/p>\n

The boss of BMW\u2019s<\/a> M division, Frank van Meel, says the electric M3 isn\u2019t being built because BMW has to do it, but instead because it wants to give customers the choice of either an EV or a car using combustion power, hence why it\u2019s still committed to its six- and eight-cylinder engines.<\/p>\n

Read: BMW\u2019s New Electric M3 Proves The Concept Wasn\u2019t Kidding<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe are not doing this because it has to be done, but because we are convinced you can build a fast and even better car this way,\u201d van Meel told Motor1<\/a> while speaking about the electric M3. \u201cThe timing has to be right, though. It only works if we can do it 100 percent the way we want to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n

A New Platform<\/p>\n


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The key enabler for the quad-motor M3<\/a> is BMW\u2019s Neue Klasse platform, which allows the car to be developed from the ground up rather than relying on a pre-existing architecture that might have required modifications to support a large battery pack and powerful electric motors. \u201cWe said we could only make a high-performance M with four electric motors, torque vectoring, individual control, a central control unit, and our own software,\u201d he added, noting the car has to feel \u201cM-like.\u201d<\/p>\n


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It\u2019s possible some BMW M enthusiasts may feel like they\u2019re being force-fed a high-powered EV they don\u2019t necessarily want. However, van Meel says the company does \u201cnot decide for our customers what they have to drive,\u201d but rather wants to \u201cbuild cars that we ourselves love\u201d and that buyers can choose whether they want an EV or a combustion-powered car.<\/p>\n

The new model, previewed with the M Concept Neue Klasse, draws on the design of the standard i3 but includes all the upgrades you\u2019d expect of an M car, including flared arches, new bumpers, distinctive wheels, and a custom hood. Chances are, the production model will look very similar.<\/p>\n

In terms of power, BMW M<\/a> has revealed that the concept includes four motors, and while horsepower hasn\u2019t been confirmed, the production car is tipped to have between 700 hp and 1,000 hp. Expect to see the first-ever electric M3 presented in its final form next year.<\/p>\n

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