While rivals like Audi, Porsche, Mercedes, and Volvo rushed to declare all-electric futures a few years ago, BMW kept its cards close to the chest. The Bavarian automaker never promised a hard deadline for phasing out combustion engines. Instead, it projected a balanced demand for both gasoline and electric vehicles by 2030, insisting that customers, not regulators, should decide the pace of the transition.
That stance now looks more pragmatic as other automakers backtrack from earlier pledges. Mercedes, for instance, recently admitted to a “course correction” in its electrification strategy, while Audi and Volvo have softened their once-ambitious timelines.
CTO Calls EU Plan “Stupid”
In an interview with Australian outlet CarExpert, BMW Chief Technology Officer Joachim Post openly criticized the European Union’s proposed 2035 ban on new combustion car sales. Post warned that enforcing such a sweeping change without considering real-world conditions could be disastrous.
“If the European Commission is going to say they have a plan 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,” Post said.
His blunt comments underscore BMW’s long-held belief that governments are moving faster than infrastructure and consumer demand can keep up.
Echoes From Stuttgart
BMW isn’t alone in its criticism. Mercedes-Benz CEO Ola Källenius recently cautioned that Europe’s car industry is “heading at full speed against a wall” if Brussels doesn’t reconsider. Despite investing billions into electrification, Mercedes continues to develop combustion engines, including a brand-new AMG V8.
The fact that Germany’s two largest premium carmakers usually fierce rivals are aligned on this issue highlights the seriousness of their concerns.
EV Sales: Progress, But Not Enough
The latest figures from the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association show that battery-electric vehicles made up 15.6 percent of total EU car sales in the first eight months of this year. Expanding to the UK and EFTA countries like Norway and Switzerland, the share rises slightly to 17.4 percent.
While that represents growth, it also reveals how far the industry is from an all-EV future. Millions of consumers remain hesitant due to high purchase prices, patchy charging infrastructure, and volatile energy costs. For BMW and its peers, these gaps make a blanket ban look premature.
Engines Still Drive the Business
BMW continues to produce a wide range of combustion engines—from three-cylinder units to V12s for Rolls-Royce. These engines remain highly profitable and even find buyers outside the brand, with Toyota, Land Rover, and Ineos Automotive sourcing powertrains from Munich.
Together with MINI, BMW sold nearly 500,000 cars in Europe during the first half of this year—more than in Asia or the United States. Losing the option to sell combustion cars in such a crucial market would be a financial blow.
What Comes Next
The EU is scheduled to review the 2035 ban, and mounting pressure from automakers could influence the outcome. As of March, Brussels reaffirmed its commitment, but the policy is not yet locked in. For BMW, the stakes are clear: an abrupt end to combustion engines could destabilize Europe’s car industry, wipe out jobs, and alienate customers who aren’t ready to switch.
The “M” in BMW still stands for Motoren, and for now, Munich has no intention of letting that legacy vanish.
