With various governments across the world making a push for all-electric mobility, the road ahead for automakers seem to be set in stone. Either embrace electric vehicles (EVs) or die. While Tesla seems to stealing the show, BMW is planning on upping the ante to enter the league of electric vehicle manufacturers. Every time someone tries to outdo Tesla, the Elon Musk-led company comes up with something or the other to retaliate. But with most carmakers making a stride towards electrification, Tesla better watch out!
While the Bavarian carmaker was the first among its peers to introduce a fully-electrified sub-brand called the BMW i in 2013, it didn’t really take off as the carmaker would have hoped. However, come 2025, and BMW Group, including its sub-brand Mini, is planning to launch not less than 25 electrified cars, which will include plug-in hybrids as well as all-electric vehicles.
Although BMW hasn’t outlined its EV plans for British luxury marque, Rolls-Royce, cars that wear the Spirit of Ecstasy on the bonnet will reportedly skip the hybrid step and shift to full-electric powertrains in the near future. Don’t be surprised to see an EV version of the all-new Rolls-Royce Phantom soon!
Currently, BMW has seven hybrid offering along with two vehicles under the ‘i’ range - the i3 EV and i8 plug-in hybrid sports car. Although BMW hasn’t revealed details of the upcoming vehicles under its plans for electrification, its recent concepts give us a glimpse at what we can expect from the manufacturer by 2025.
The BMW i Vision Dynamics, which was unveiled at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show, is a four-door gran coupe with a range of 600km on a single charge and a top speed of 200kmph. According to the manufacturer, it is expected in the ‘immediate future’. The other car could be the first-ever, all-electric Mini, which will see the light of day in 2019. It will be based on the Mini Electric Concept, which was also revealed at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show earlier in September.
Out of the 25 models that BMW has planned, 12 will be pure-electric and these two will certainly be among the first comers. Further, the Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid, which made its world premiere at the 2016 LA Auto Show and is already on sale, was the first electrified, production-spec vehicle by Mini.
Besides the rollout of electrified vehicles, BMW will also climb up the ladder when it comes to autonomous driving technology. BMW already offers Level 2 autonomous driving in its cars and by 2021, the German giant plans to go fully autonomous! Check out more in the video below.
Source: cardekho.com
