BMW announces that all M performance variants will be electrified by the end of 2030

Electric cars, powered by natural gas or LPG. The future seems to offer a wide variety of options for reducing the pollution caused by cars. Depending on the engine, cars emit more or less, and we already know that particulate capture systems or additives are being introduced to render NOx gases from diesel cars harmless. But electricity seems to be gaining ground little by little, and manufacturers are willing to bring electrification to all their models.

BMW, as we already know, has in its lineup a performance range that pushes all its models to maximum performance, to be enjoyed both on the road and on the track, and calls them BMW M. Now, as hybrid and fully electric vehicles appear to be pulling ahead in the race for clean mobility, the German brand has announced that all M vehicles will be electrified to a greater or lesser extent within ten years.

A date has been set for these models to reach the market, but it has not been specified when the first hybrid model of the M range will arrive. For Frank Van Meel, head of the BMW M versions, “we have to go step by step,” because electric automotive technology is not yet fully refined and needs to advance a little further. The main problem Van Meel sees is the weight of the components for electric cars: too much weight to deliver the sporting performance the brand is looking for.

At present, BMW’s strategy involves combining the engine, gearbox and electronics into a single unit, which will reduce the weight of the equipment. For the time being, they will continue offering the M models with several engine options, and until the technology needed to deliver the experience of driving an BMW M as before exists, the conversion to hybrids will not begin.

However, the possibility of a purely electric BMW M seems to be ruled out for now. Nevertheless, BMW has said it has an electric traction system with three independent motors, each delivering the equivalent of 268 CV. This would add up to around 804 CV, which approaches the usual performance of an BMW M, so this possibility should not be ruled out either, even though it has not been confirmed.

As for other features of BMW’s performance range, Van Veel has commented that the M3 and M4 will keep rear-wheel drive and will forgo the all-wheel drive that already equips the M5, because enthusiasts of this range are very accustomed to rear-wheel drive and enjoy it. Either way, the future of the BMW seems set to bring changes, and we will soon be able to start enjoying them.