Photo: BMW
Earlier this year, BMW made a somewhat shocking announcement saying that the company could not work on developing both electric cars and its own autonomous technology, so it had decided to focus on the latter.
After just two models in the "i" range - one of which was a hybrid and the other came with an optional gas engine to work as a range extender - BMW was already calling it quits on its EV initiative. The decision was probably based partly on the reasons made public, but the very poor sales of the i3 must have dented the automaker's will to pursue this direction as well.
The i3 is an excellent car, but it's marred by two things: one is the poor maximum range (slightly resolved with this year's upgrade) and the other is the love it or hate id exterior design. Besides that, the BMW i3 is great to drive, offers plenty of oomph, and it has a gorgeous interior. However, it failed to entice EV seekers in Europe or anywhere else in the world for that matter.
Now, though, a recent exclusive report from German media outlet Handelsblatt claims the Bavarian company might be going through some high-level restructuring that could lead to electric vehicles getting a second chance. It is said that the supervisory board will meet at the end of this month for a final vote on the matter.
If things were to go as suggested in the report, we could be expecting three new all-electric models from BMW: a 3 Series sedan, an X4 SUV, and a MINI small hatchback. We think BMW can't afford another flop, so if it were to produce an electric 3 Series - which would be a direct competitor to Tesla's Model 3 - it would have to offer at least similar range and performance numbers since it would most definitely have to be a lot more expensive.
The other two models also make sense: the electric SUV seems to be the norm at the moment with Mercedes-Benz and Audi announcing similar cars as well, while the MINI could be seen as a replacement for the i3. It's actually quite fitting if you think about it: the testbed for the powertrain used in the i3 was a two-seats MINI model called the MINI E.
If this turns out to be true, it would be huge news. Handelsblatt has delivered accurate information in the past, so that's one reason to trust the report. Another would be that BMW can't possibly afford to sit out of the evolving EV market and risk losing touch with the leading peloton.
The i3 is an excellent car, but it's marred by two things: one is the poor maximum range (slightly resolved with this year's upgrade) and the other is the love it or hate id exterior design. Besides that, the BMW i3 is great to drive, offers plenty of oomph, and it has a gorgeous interior. However, it failed to entice EV seekers in Europe or anywhere else in the world for that matter.
Now, though, a recent exclusive report from German media outlet Handelsblatt claims the Bavarian company might be going through some high-level restructuring that could lead to electric vehicles getting a second chance. It is said that the supervisory board will meet at the end of this month for a final vote on the matter.
If things were to go as suggested in the report, we could be expecting three new all-electric models from BMW: a 3 Series sedan, an X4 SUV, and a MINI small hatchback. We think BMW can't afford another flop, so if it were to produce an electric 3 Series - which would be a direct competitor to Tesla's Model 3 - it would have to offer at least similar range and performance numbers since it would most definitely have to be a lot more expensive.
The other two models also make sense: the electric SUV seems to be the norm at the moment with Mercedes-Benz and Audi announcing similar cars as well, while the MINI could be seen as a replacement for the i3. It's actually quite fitting if you think about it: the testbed for the powertrain used in the i3 was a two-seats MINI model called the MINI E.
If this turns out to be true, it would be huge news. Handelsblatt has delivered accurate information in the past, so that's one reason to trust the report. Another would be that BMW can't possibly afford to sit out of the evolving EV market and risk losing touch with the leading peloton.
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