BMW Criticizes EU Combustion Ban, Vows Equal Treatment for EV and ICE Buyers

BMW board member Dr. Joachim Post has criticised the proposal by European regulators to ban new combustion cars from 2035, warning the step risks “killing an industry” if it disregards customer needs and charging infrastructure.

Speaking at the launch of BMW’s Neue Klasse, he said the firm will not split its design language between electric vehicles (EVs) and internal combustion-engined (ICE) cars, assuring customers of both powertrain types will receive the same technology and quality experience.

Mr Post, who was in charge of BMW’s product strategy when the Neue Klasse was approved in 2021, said the aim was to future-proof all BMWs with next-generation electronics and systems including its panoramic iDrive user interface and new driver-assistance features – irrespective of their powertrain.

“There should be no compromise for a customer who wants to have a combustion engine or electric powertrain to get his car with all the technologies,” he said.

Mr Post also pledged buyers won’t see stark design differences between BMW’s EV and ICE models. “[EV and ICE buyers] can say that one is not looking better than the other. It was important for us to have not unequal twins,” he said.

That approach contrasts with rivals such as Mercedes-Benz (with its EQ sub-brand) and Volkswagen (with its ID models), which established separate EV identities.

Mr Post was forthright in his criticism of the European Commission’s plan to require only zero-emission vehicle sales by 2035. “If the European Commission says it plans to cut the combustion engine in 2035, they’re not asking the customers and how [EV charging] infrastructure is coming up, how the energy prices are and all the things there. It’s stupid to do that in that way. And you can kill an industry doing it that way.”

His remarks come just weeks after Mercedes-Benz warned the European auto industry could collapse if the ICE ban were enacted as planned in 2035.

BMW, he said, has been criticised in the past for following a “technology open” strategy – building EVs while still investing in efficient combustion cars.

“We have been bashed for years with this approach. At that time, the others always came to ‘Hey, why are you not making pure electric?’. All the analysts and a lot of, to be honest, journalists – also sometimes now – a lot of them came back to say ‘sorry, you had done it in the right way’.”

Vindicating BMW’s approach to EVs, Mr Post said many rivals are now reversing their EV-only product plans and adopting technology openness.

“Finally, the customer decides. The world is different in different places, and we are a global player. We’re not a player in one region. And now some other companies change the strategy to technology openness, because you won’t survive if you have to halve volume in five years,” he said.

For BMW, the Neue Klasse is more than an EV architecture – it’s the company’s central technology foundation, spanning both combustion and electric cars. By retaining a unified design language, Mr Post said BMW can provide contemporary interiors and digital experiences to all customers while allowing them to pick their preferred drivetrain.

The strategy sets BMW apart from brands that pursued EV-only directions, and Mr Post cautioned that those who followed regulation instead of customer demand could find themselves vulnerable.

His remarks highlight how fraught the debate has become in Europe, where regulators are accelerating electrification while established manufacturers face customer bases that remain divided. For BMW, the solution is to preserve flexibility and make sure no buyer feels short-changed.

“We are BMW, and that’s our brand, and that’s our core, that’s our strength, and we believe in that,” he said.

In Post’s view, survival will hinge not only on meeting emissions targets but on balancing rules with customer demand and global realities, because putting everything on a single technology could be the riskiest strategy of all.