Photo: BMW
A fast-growing electric vehicle segment might force BMW to cut short the life use of two of its existing EV names, the i3 and i8, as it ramps up plans for the next generation of battery-powered cars.
Earlier in March, BMW CEO Harald Kruger hinted to the introduction of the i4, a car based on the i Vision Dynamics Concept introduced at last year's Frankfurt Motor Show. The model is expected to hit the market sometime in 2020, together with other BMW-badged EVs.
Among them, the German automaker will make room in its lineup for the iNext, an electric SUV aimed at Tesla’s Model X and jaguar’s I-Pace.
Those two models mentioned above, as well as the technology they would use, might mean the end of the i3 and i8 names after just one generation.
In an interview with Autonews, Stefan Juraschek, BMW’s head of electric powertrain, said that the two models were test beds for the technology from which the carmaker would build the real EV segment cars coming from Munich.
There’s uncertainty surrounding the continuation of the two models only in terms of names. The two cars still have life left in them (the i3 got a facelift last year), so at least by 2020, they would still be around.
It’s not entirely clear whether the next generation of EVs, being so different from the current, would be wearing the same names.
"These cars are very unique," the Bavarian official was quoted as saying by the source.
"These two cars were not developed as a family that we can expand in different ways or maybe five or 10 derivatives."
The i3 was initially introduced in 2013, as BMW’s first ever mass production electric vehicle. The i8, which arrived one year later, created a market segment of its own. Both models were refreshed in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Among them, the German automaker will make room in its lineup for the iNext, an electric SUV aimed at Tesla’s Model X and jaguar’s I-Pace.
Those two models mentioned above, as well as the technology they would use, might mean the end of the i3 and i8 names after just one generation.
In an interview with Autonews, Stefan Juraschek, BMW’s head of electric powertrain, said that the two models were test beds for the technology from which the carmaker would build the real EV segment cars coming from Munich.
There’s uncertainty surrounding the continuation of the two models only in terms of names. The two cars still have life left in them (the i3 got a facelift last year), so at least by 2020, they would still be around.
It’s not entirely clear whether the next generation of EVs, being so different from the current, would be wearing the same names.
"These cars are very unique," the Bavarian official was quoted as saying by the source.
"These two cars were not developed as a family that we can expand in different ways or maybe five or 10 derivatives."
The i3 was initially introduced in 2013, as BMW’s first ever mass production electric vehicle. The i8, which arrived one year later, created a market segment of its own. Both models were refreshed in 2017 and 2018, respectively.
Google News