Gasless Chaps: BMW X3 M will probably vanish in favour of EVs

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There are still some traditionalists reeling from BMW’s decision to append the vaunted ‘M’ badge to hotted-up variants of its crossovers and SUVs — but if recent reports are any indication, the maker from Munich is about to upend the apple cart once again. Why, you ask? It seems BMW may be in the throes of preparing all-electric replacements for the X3 M. Ach nein!

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According to those in the know at a fan site called BMWblog, the vehicles which replace the present-day X3 M could shun internal-combustion altogether when they appear in a few years’ time. Recall that BMW is reviving the Neue Klasse designation when its first all-electric vehicle platform shows up in 2025, contrasting sharply against the existing Cluster Architecture which can support the triumvirate of EVs, hybrids, and gassers. BMW has already confirmed it expects to build the first Neue Klasse vehicle in 2025, with the primary duo of a compact sedan and a compact crossover being the initial recipients of this new platform.

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Readers with at least one eye on the ball will surely recognize these new machines will be the de facto electric variants of today’s 3 Series car and X3 crossover. While the rumour mill has Neue Klasse and Cluster Architecture being sold side-by-each initially, it doesn’t take Inspector Gadget to figure out the internal-combustion vehicles are going to eventually vanish altogether at some point in the future. This is why BMWblog suggests Munich is likely to offer an M variant of the electric X3, but not of the updated gas/hybrid X3.

Piece it all together and you’ve a clear indication that, yes, the X3 M will ultimately be replaced by an EV — but by this logic, so will the X5 M, X6 M, and everything else BMW currently makes. And the world turns.

Still, BMW is hedging its bets with internal combustion a lot more than its competition. Mercedes has committed to going all-electric by 2030 in most markets, with Audi planning on doing the same by 2033. Munich has committed to flipping 50 per cent of its global fleet to EV by 2030, though that number may be higher in certain parts of the world.