BMW Knows Enthusiasts Fear The Electric M3. But It Has A Plan

BMW says its M3 EV should land in the same pricing ballpark as the combustion version, even though it will likely be quicker.

Photo by: BMW

By: Andrei Nedelea

May 5, at 9:29am ET

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The electric and gas BMW M3 should fall into the same price ballpark.
BMW thinks a drive in the electric M3 can win over some skeptics, get them to pick the EV.
The gas M3 will live on for buyers who still don’t want an EV.

BMW will unveil a hot version of its i3 sedan—the electric M3—next year. We don’t know what it’s going to be called or any specifics, really, but BMW will be pitching it as somewhat of an equal to the combustion version, at least when it comes to how much it will cost.

Autocar spoke to Sylvia Neubauer, BMW M’s sales boss, who said the combustion M3 and the electric model “are in the same ballpark” in terms of pricing. She added that BMW M wants to give customers “the choice,” explaining that while “There will be functional differences that lead to a different design in some areas of the car, but when you look at them, you will see that they are twins.”

But even if BMW wants to pitch these two models as alternatives, they won’t address the same buyers. Someone who is considering buying a gas-powered M3 likely isn’t interested in an EV, although BMW may still sway some people if the EV is as good as the combustion model, is faster, and has even more wayward handling thanks to four electric motors and reports of a nearly 1,000-horsepower output.

The electric model will be heavier than the combustion M3, but with more power and instant torque, it will be quicker to sprint, and with one motor powering each wheel, it will do a lot with torque vectoring. It will also sound like a combustion-powered M car inside, so it should be able to do a pretty convincing impression of the ICE model.

We've already seen other automakers trying to get their performance EVs to do sound and feel like gas cars with fake engine sounds and pretend gears. We liked it more than we should have in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N, while experiencing the simulated V-8 in a prototype for AMG's upcoming Porsche Taycan rival was very convincing.

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Neubauer added “When we talk about the BMW M3, it’s the M3 no matter the drivetrain. The driving experience must be true, and you decide if you want EV or ICE.” She believes that “Obviously, we will not convince 100% out of the petrolhead target group to buy an all-electric BMW M3. But out of 100 people that try it, we will be able to convince some. And for everybody else, we will still provide combustion engines.”

BMW M seems very confident in the electric M3 and its ability to enthrall enthusiast drivers. “It’s not only about acceleration and power, it’s about drivability, maneuverability, and that level of trust and connection between the driver, car, and road. With a high-performance BEV, you need to be able to trust it every millisecond, and the car is so convincing,” according to Neubauer.

The manufacturer will renew the combustion-powered M3 for a new generation, likely featuring some form of electrification (probably a mild hybrid), built on an evolution of the CLAR platform that today’s model rides on. The current M3 Competition has 523 horsepower, standard all-wheel drive, and can accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in a claimed 3.4 seconds, although independent tests have shown it can be even quicker. The M3 EV will likely be a sub-3-second car.

The M3 Competition xDrive starts at $89,950 in the U.S. and €107,600 in Germany. Its replacement, which is not due for at least another two years, will likely cost a bit more, so it’s safe to assume that the electric M3 will cost around $100,000, depending on the version, because there will be more than one powertrain variant to choose from.

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