BMW staying with ICE another 30 years

BMW may have shown the future of mobility at its Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2020 on January 7-10, but its research and development head Klaus Froehlich says the group won’t relinquish the internal combustion engine (ICE) for at least 30 more years.

The group has the electric i3 and i8, with the iX3 and iNext due, but Froehlich reckons in an interview with Automotive News Europe that BMW will continue to make gas engines, particularly because some markets like the US aren’t ready to fully switch.

He says the diesel 1.5-litre three-cylinder entry engine and the 400hp six-cylinder will stop, while the four and six-cylinder diesels will remain in production another 20 years and petrol engines at least 30 years.

Froehlich considers the US doesn’t have a real need for EVs because of an incomplete charging infrastructure and while EVs are good for the east and west coast, the rest of the US will continue using ICE.

“Most of the US does not need BEVs (battery electric vehicles),” he says, adding high-performance plug-in hybrids (PHEVs) could be provided instead.

There is no advantage to having an electric vehicle in Europe either, according to Froehlich who reckons Europe might account for up to 25% of hybrid sales as well while ICE will account for more than 50% and the rest BEVs.

“In Europe there is reluctance to jump directly to BEVs, so plug-in hybrids are the right solution.”

This is an interesting strategy considering many European countries have already set petrol bans for less than 20 years into the future. While BMW will continue to manufacture vehicles that operate on gas or diesel fuel, they will soon be flat-out illegal in some territories, Teslarati reports.

Froehlich believes PHEVs are a more appropriate solution considering many vehicle owners are reluctant to immediately buy an EV, but says BMW will have dedicated vehicle architectures if the “world turns fully electric.

As the speed of EV adoption will vary globally, Froehlich believes that vehicle architectures will need to be flexible enough to rapidly adapt to tougher global emissions rules as well as changing customer tastes.

He sees battery cell development possibly making EVs the best answer for passenger cars by 2025, with hydrogen fuel cells an alternative for light and heavy trucks.

Reaction to stories about Froehlich’s interview are mixed, some saying he may be backing the wrong horse while others say he’s on the right track.