BMW Pulling the Plug on the – But it’s Not Giving up on EVs

BMW is pulling the plug on the iX battery-electric crossover in the U.S. market, the latest manufacturer to rejig its EV line-up to reflect declining sales. At the same time, however, the Bavarian automaker is getting ready to bring out three more EVs, part of a wave of new products set to launch this year. More from Headlight.News.

Whether you blame high prices – worsened by the phase-out of federal tax credits – a limited public charging network or some other factor, EV sales have taken a big tumble over the last six months, leading a number of manufacturers to shake up their battery-electric line-ups.

Among them, apparently, is BMW which reportedly plans to stop selling the iX crossover in the United States – though it will continue in other markets through 2027.

But don’t think that means the Bavarian automaker is ready to walk away from EVs, as some competitors now seem to be doing. Anything but. Of seven new models we’ll see from BMW this year, four will be all-electric – or offer EV options — including versions of the X4, 3- and 7-Series.

End of the run for iX

BMW launched production of the iX in June 2021 as a 2022 model. It was offered in a variety of trims, including iX M70 X-Drive delivery up to 650 horsepower and 811 pound-feet of torque. Its most efficient package delivered range of up to 360 miles.

But the iX never really clicked with U.S. buyers, the automaker delivering 9,879 of the EVs last year. And. As with virtually all other EVs it took a substantial hit during the fourth quarter, following the phase-out of federal tax credits.

“We are proud of what we have accomplished with the BMW iX. Since its introduction, it has served as a technological showcase, pushing the boundaries of design, manufacturing, sustainability, and circularity,” a BMW spokesman said in a statement released to the BMWBlog.

Alte Klasse meets Neue Klasse

“Our success in the U.S. is driven by a broad and flexible powertrain portfolio that allows us to navigate a dynamic environment while continuing to evolve our lineup. As part of this progression, we are concluding U.S. allocation of the BMW iX as we prepare for the next generation of our fully electric vehicles.”

In German, the iX might be considered “alte klasse,” or “old class,” and it’s making room for BMW’s Neue Klasse, or “new class,” EV line-up. Based on an entirely new platform and equipped with what BMW has described as a “super-brain,” the first to market is the iX3 which is set to go on sale in the U.S. by the middle of this year.

It will be followed by a number of other all-electric models – most immediately the i3 – though not all will use Neue Klasse underpinnings.

More EV News

• All-New BMW i3 Makes its Debut
• BMW Reveals iX3, the First Neue Klasse EV
• These Are the EVs Canceled or Delayed This Year

What’s Coming

• 

  The new BMW iX3 with CEO Oliver Zipse during its 2025 debut.

  i3: The next Neue Klasse model set to reach showrooms will be the i3 which BMW unveiled a month ago. The new sedan will be offered in a variety of different trims, starting with the 2027 i3 50 xDrive, a twin-motor package punching out 463 horsepower and 476 pound-feet of instant torque. Range easily tops 400 miles, according to preliminary EPA estimates. It features BMW’s new “Heart of Joy” computing system and a centralized computing system.

• iX3: Already starting to reach customers in Europe, the iX3 is the most direct replacement for the older BMW iX. The all-electric alternative to the familiar X3 package will launch with one version, the iX3 50 xDrive, with at least two other trims expected to reach U.S. showrooms later. Production began in Europe but the automaker’s Spartanburg, South Carolina plant is gearing up to start rolling out iX3 by September, U.S. deliveries set to begin shortly afterwards.
• iX4: Sharing most of its underpinnings with the iX3, this EV will feature a sleeker, more coupe-like design, While details are sparse, this all-electric model is expected to debut later this year but not going on sale in Europe until early 2027, with U.S. dealers set to start deliveries shortly after. If preliminary reports prove accurate, BMW now plans to offer only this all-electric package, dropping the combustion engine-powered X4.
• i7: BMW first introduced the all-electric version of the flagship 7-Series in April 2022. Like the combustion engine version, it’s now ready for a mid-cycle update. That’s on tap for both gas and EV versions which are expected to debut at the Beijing Auto Show later this month. Look for the normal refinements to interior and exterior design but, for the i7, the most notable update will be a switch to batteries developed by Croatian supercar company Rimac. That will translate into a 20% increase in energy density, BMW has signaled, along with notably faster charging times.

Gassing up

Some U.S. readers might be surprised by the number of EVs BMW is ready to roll out but it pays to look at what’s happening in the rest of the world. Globally demand for all-electric vehicles reached about 20 million in 2025, or roughly 22% of the total 91 million vehicles sold worldwide. That was up from 17.2 million in 2024, despite the 16.7% drop last year in U.S. volume.

Still, BMW isn’t giving up on combustion technology.

Along with the upcoming update of the gas-powered 7-Series, it will reveal an all-new version of the X5 crossover over the summer. There’ll be a new version of the 3-Series debuting later in the year, and on a more modest scale, the BMW M2 will be updated with a first-time application of all-wheel-drive.