BMW said it will offer the all-electric versions of X1 compact SUV and the 5 Series as part of the German automaker’s plans to have 25 electrified models in its portfolio by 2023.
BMW didn’t say exactly when an all-electric X1 or 5 Series might be available (TechCrunch reached out and will update if we get an answer). The all-electric drive train will be one of four options to buyers of the BMW X1 and BMW 5 Series vehicles. The sedan and SUV are also available as a plug-in hybrid as well as diesel or gas with 48-volt mild hybrid technology.
The two vehicles are the latest to join BMW’s expanding electrified portfolio. Earlier this year, the automaker said its flagship 7 series sedan would also be offered with an all-electric drive train.
BMW has said that half of the 25 “electrified” models slated to be on roads by 2023 will be fully electric. The term electrified can also mean a hybrid and plug-in hybrid. The company’s longer term goal is to have more than 7 million electrified BMW Group vehicles on the road by 2030. BMW has said it wants two thirds of those to have a fully-electric drive train.
The automaker is bringing five all-electric vehicles to market by the end of 2021, including the BMW i3, the Mini Cooper SE, the BMW iX3, the BMW iNEXT and the BMW i4. The i3 is a well-known member of the wider EV industry. But the others likely less so. The Mini Cooper SE has the i3 motor and with 110 miles of EPA-rated range from its 32.6-kWh battery, the vehicle is marketed as a fun-to-drive urban commuter.
The iX3, which is based off of the X3, is an electric crossover that will be assembled in China. The iX3 is not coming to the United States. Instead, the vehicle will go on sale in the first half of 2021 in China.
The BMW i4, an all-electric four-door Gran Coupe with an estimated EPA range of 270 miles and the ability to produce 530 horsepower, is slated to enter production in 2021. The iNEXT, which is meant to be the flagship of its EV lineup, is expected to be in production next year.
Source: Tech Crunch