Photo: BMW
It's safe to say BMW's plans for its "i" sub-brand haven't gone according to plan. The company knew it wouldn't get its money back from this very expensive experiment, but the "i" models have brought much more than just simple revenue.
The Bavarians knew from the start that the "i" project was about more than just electric and hybrid powertrains. They used these models as a sort of testbed for new technologies, the most important of which being the CFRP (carbon fiber reinforced plastic) molding. This allowed BMW to produce this fabric that has almost the same properties as carbon fiber but only costs a fraction of its price in-house, enabling its use in any of the brand's other models.
But as far as the actual electrification goes, things haven't evolved in the right direction. After releasing the two "i" models - the i3 all-electric or range-extended small hatchback and the i8 plug-in hybrid sports coupe - in relative quick succession, BMW now appears to have stalled the program. The i5 has been rumored for some time, and everyone expects it to be a crossover of sorts, but nobody has seen anything so far. Secrets are rarely kept so well in the automotive industry, so it's more likely that the car is still in its incipient phase.
To make matters worse, a statement from earlier this year said that BMW would focus on developing its own autonomous technology and, since it can't do both, would put its electric project on hold. Now, though, a conflicting report has surfaced saying that the Bavarians are most likely working on electric versions for up to three models of the company's range. Those three are the 3 Series sedan, the X4 sports activity coupe and an unspecified MINI model.
BMW simply can't afford to lose touch with the rest of the manufacturers on EV technology, especially since both Audi and Mercedes-Benz have pretty vast programs in this direction that are about to unfold. 2016 looks like the year Mercedes will kick BMW off the throne of best-selling premium brand, so there's a lot to fight for.
Even though they won't account for much of the global sales anytime soon, electric vehicles are going to be an important image vector over the following years, and with Mercedes-Benz set to launch a series of new battery-powered models of its own and Audi looking to do the same, BMW will be forced to keep up.
By the looks of it, it will do so relying less and less on the special "i" brand, and more on creating electric versions of its regular models. We are working on rumors at this time, but it would make perfect financial sense for BMW, not to mention an electric 3 Series with identical performances would surely sell a lot better than the i3 oddball.
But as far as the actual electrification goes, things haven't evolved in the right direction. After releasing the two "i" models - the i3 all-electric or range-extended small hatchback and the i8 plug-in hybrid sports coupe - in relative quick succession, BMW now appears to have stalled the program. The i5 has been rumored for some time, and everyone expects it to be a crossover of sorts, but nobody has seen anything so far. Secrets are rarely kept so well in the automotive industry, so it's more likely that the car is still in its incipient phase.
To make matters worse, a statement from earlier this year said that BMW would focus on developing its own autonomous technology and, since it can't do both, would put its electric project on hold. Now, though, a conflicting report has surfaced saying that the Bavarians are most likely working on electric versions for up to three models of the company's range. Those three are the 3 Series sedan, the X4 sports activity coupe and an unspecified MINI model.
BMW simply can't afford to lose touch with the rest of the manufacturers on EV technology, especially since both Audi and Mercedes-Benz have pretty vast programs in this direction that are about to unfold. 2016 looks like the year Mercedes will kick BMW off the throne of best-selling premium brand, so there's a lot to fight for.
Even though they won't account for much of the global sales anytime soon, electric vehicles are going to be an important image vector over the following years, and with Mercedes-Benz set to launch a series of new battery-powered models of its own and Audi looking to do the same, BMW will be forced to keep up.
By the looks of it, it will do so relying less and less on the special "i" brand, and more on creating electric versions of its regular models. We are working on rumors at this time, but it would make perfect financial sense for BMW, not to mention an electric 3 Series with identical performances would surely sell a lot better than the i3 oddball.
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