WOODCLIFF LAKE, NJ – While numerous automobile manufacturers have been announcing plans of converting their near-future releases to electric models, BMW is hotly rumored to be joining that ongoing trend with their next generation 8 Series, which could go into production as early as 2026.
Currently, there are a few details known about the next generation BMW 8 Series – codename G77 – such as its continued use of the CLAR rear-wheel drive platform, which allows a great deal of adaptability in terms of the powertrain that will be utilized. However, industry scuttlebutt indicates that the new luxury sedan will be a fully electric vehicle (EV) that will be made available in standard and Gran Coupe variant models.
The current BMW M850i models utilize a powerful V8 engine, but there has been talk of BMW’s desire to not only streamline their offerings – paring them down to only the models that sell the best – but also to enter the ever-expanding luxury EV marketplace. After all, a BMW 8 Series EV would likely be pricey, but its intended buyers typically would have no issues affording the price tag.
If the rumors pan out, the 2026 8 Series would not represent BMW’s first foray into the high-end EV market; the company plans to reviving their Neue Klasse brand – “New Class” in English – in EV form. BMW’s current EVs use the hybrid Cluster Architecture (CLAR) platform, which supports EVs, hybrids and combustion vehicles; however, the Neue Klasse platform will be EV-only.
CLAR offered BMW flexibility during a transition period in the form of a hybrid platform that allowed them to construct many different types of vehicles on the same production line. But the Neue Klasse platform will let BMW produce better electric cars that aren’t held back by the need to accommodate a potential combustion engine.
BMW plans to offer CLAR and Neue Klasse cars until at least 2030, at which time the company plans to go fully electric with all models.
As for the 8 Series, it remains to be seen if the rumors of a 2026 EV debut hold true.
Christopher Boyle is an investigative journalist, videographer, reporter and writer for SEARCHEN NETWORKS® as well as other independent news and media organizations in the United States. Christopher works on a wide variety of topics and fields, has been featured in print and online in a variety of publications, from local to national, and helps keep a keen-eye on what’s happening in the automotive world for Auto Buyers Market.