Photo: BMW
The possibility of a BMW i5 has been the talk of the automotive press ever since the i3 and i8 were launched, but apart from a couple of probably fake patent images, there hasn't been any official confirmation.
Until now, that is, because BMW boss Harald Krüger has just announced that the carmaker will unveil the concept for a “four-door, fully electric vehicle between the i3 and the i8” at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.
We'd bet a fiver that the model will go into production as the rumored BMW i5 in a couple of years from now, just in time to snatch a couple of sales from the Tesla Model 3 facelift.
That said, you should keep in mind that despite its size similarity with the American model, the i5 will probably be quite a bit more expensive due to many factors, including standard equipment, build materials and brand image.
Keep in mind that the small BMW i3 is already more expensive than the Model 3, so we're expecting the i5 to go against a low-spec Model S in pricing and against the Model 3 regarding size and performance.
Until BMW officially unveils the yet-unnamed concept car and gives us some provisional spec figures, we can only guess stuff about its performance. A 60 to 80 kWh of battery power should be expected, as is rear-wheel-drive. The production i5 should also have a range-extending version since BMW is quite happy with BMW i3 Rex sales on markets where charging infrastructure is not that developed.
The i5 won't be the first production electric BMW five-seater, though, as that title will go to a battery-powered version of the new BMW X3, though. According to Mr. Krüger, it will be the first of many electric cars from the company, since MINI is heading in the same direction.
“By 2025, we will offer 25 electrified vehicles – 12 will be fully-electric. Today, and at the IAA, you will see the concept vehicle for the first series electric MINI, for release in 2019. As we have announced, we will be introducing the first BMW core model – the X3 – as a BEV in 2020. Going forward, all fully-electric BMWs will belong to BMW i. This also applies to the X3.”
We live in some pretty interesting times from this point of view.
We'd bet a fiver that the model will go into production as the rumored BMW i5 in a couple of years from now, just in time to snatch a couple of sales from the Tesla Model 3 facelift.
That said, you should keep in mind that despite its size similarity with the American model, the i5 will probably be quite a bit more expensive due to many factors, including standard equipment, build materials and brand image.
Keep in mind that the small BMW i3 is already more expensive than the Model 3, so we're expecting the i5 to go against a low-spec Model S in pricing and against the Model 3 regarding size and performance.
Until BMW officially unveils the yet-unnamed concept car and gives us some provisional spec figures, we can only guess stuff about its performance. A 60 to 80 kWh of battery power should be expected, as is rear-wheel-drive. The production i5 should also have a range-extending version since BMW is quite happy with BMW i3 Rex sales on markets where charging infrastructure is not that developed.
The i5 won't be the first production electric BMW five-seater, though, as that title will go to a battery-powered version of the new BMW X3, though. According to Mr. Krüger, it will be the first of many electric cars from the company, since MINI is heading in the same direction.
“By 2025, we will offer 25 electrified vehicles – 12 will be fully-electric. Today, and at the IAA, you will see the concept vehicle for the first series electric MINI, for release in 2019. As we have announced, we will be introducing the first BMW core model – the X3 – as a BEV in 2020. Going forward, all fully-electric BMWs will belong to BMW i. This also applies to the X3.”
We live in some pretty interesting times from this point of view.
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