BMW M3 Will Become An EV Model In 2027

BMW M3 CS. (Doc. BMW Group)

JAKARTA - BMW, as one of the leaders in the automotive industry, is committed to continuing to innovate and take major steps in the electrification realm. One of its iconic models, BMW M3, is being considered to be a fully electric vehicle by 2027, indicating a major transformation to come.

BMW M Chief Executive Frank Van Meel revealed that the BMW Series-3 will be based on their latest platform, the Neue Classe, and its electric version is likely to arrive around 2025. However, more encouraging news is plans to bring electric power into the heart of the M3 by 2027.

"We want to come up with something that shows that the Neue Classe is an ambitious project. However, this will do something that goes far beyond what people usually do today. This will come with the M3 and will not be far from Neue Classe's initial launch as a product line," said Van Meel quoted from CarSales, Wednesday, September 13.

The Neue Classe platform has the capacity to support models with megaWatt power or more than 1,300 stances (dk). BMW Series-3 and M3 are the first few models to take advantage of this innovative platform.

Although the electric M3 will lose its iconic engine sound, BMW is committed to maintaining the essence and characteristics of driving which makes M3 a special vehicle. Van Meel said, "I guarantee there may be something wrong with the engine sound if it is eliminated, but what is definitely not the behavior of the car. That's amazing."

Despite BMW cooperating with the electrification era, they still appreciate the role of gasoline engines in their product lineup, including sports vehicles such as M3. Currently, BMW M3 CS is equipped with a S58 3.0 liter 6-cylinder turbo engine that produces up to 550 dk and a 650 Nm torque.

BMW has planned ambitious for 2026, targeting a third of their sales to be pure electric vehicles or electric vehicles. They also plan to launch more electric cars based on the Neue Classe concept in the future.

The Munich-based German manufacturer plans to start production of the first electricity-based Neue Classe by 2025 in Debrecen, Hungary, while the Munich plant will start production in 2026.