Unless you know your BMWs like the back of your hand, it’s tricky to identify which has a gas engine and which is purely electric. With radical exceptions like the i3, i8, and the more recent iX, vehicles from Bavaria essentially share the design, regardless of what powers them. Other than details like the closed-off kidney grille and “i” badging, there’s a nearly perfect symmetry between ICE and EV models.

The shared design language will continue in the Neue Klasse era. BMW recently told us it will continue to unify the appearance of its cars. So much so that you’ll not be able to immediately notice which is which. However, EVs will have shorter front sections since there’s no combustion engine taking up space underneath the hood. Some rival brands have come up with a separate design language for zero-emission models, and that’s apparently a big no-no in BMW’s book.

Speaking with Green Car Reports, Chief Development Officer Frank Weber said separating designs between ICE and EV models is “probably one of the biggest mistakes some of the competitors were making.” This is an indirect jab at Mercedes, as its EQ models look entirely different from similarly sized gas/diesel cars. The three-pointed star has been widely criticized for its egg-shaped EVs.

Weber says BMW will stick to its one-design-fits-all formula. He pledged, “There is no difference between an ICE car and a battery electric car.” He argues that splitting the two makes EVs look more modern and ICEs outdated, which the company wants to avoid. Spy shots of the new i3 electric sedan have revealed that it’ll look much like the next-generation 3 Series (G50).

Due to receive an imminent Life Cycle Impulse, the striking iX is rumored to be living on borrowed time. BMW has allegedly decided against developing a second generation. Instead, a purely electric version of the next-gen X5 (G65) could take its place in the lineup. The iX5 is also likely BMW’s first hydrogen vehicle you’ll be able to buy when it arrives in 2028. Axing the iX and making an iX5 will further unify the Neue Klasse design language.

Source: Green Car Reports