BMW is betting e-mobility will be the next big thing
and the automaker has revealed its electrification plans through 2025. As you
can see in the company's product roadmap, its next e-mobility vehicle will be
the i8 Roadster which is a plug-in hybrid that recently debuted at the Los
Angeles Auto Show. It will be joined by another plug-in hybrid next year which
appears to be a crossover.
MINI will launch an electric vehicle in 2019 and it
will be followed by two or three plug-in hybrids that same year. 2020 will see
the launch of the X3 EV and possibility a plug-in hybrid. The EV push will
really kick off in 2021 with the arrival of the often-talked about iNext.
Following its debut, it will be joined by nine other electric vehicles. In
2022, we can expect to see three different plug-in hybrids from the BMW Group.
Over the course of the next three years, five other plug-in hybrids will be
launched.
Models built from 2021 will be able to accommodate
combustion engines, plug-in hybrid powertrains, and pure electric drive
systems. The latter variants will have a lightweight aluminum casing that
houses an electric motor, a single-speed transmission, and assortment of
different electronics.
The vehicles are also slated to use modular batteries
which will apparently come in three different sizes. The 30e and 40e variants
will be used in "compact" and "executive" class vehicles
and have either a 60 kWh battery pack that delivers approximately 450 km of range or a 90 kWh battery pack that increases the range to around 550
km. "Luxury" class vehicles will use either the 40e or
50e battery pack with the latter boasting a 120 kWh rating and a range of
around 700 km.
Mainstream front-wheel drive electric vehicles will
have an electric motor that develops more than 134 hp. Likewise,
mainstream rear-wheel drive models will have more than 268 hp.
All-wheel drive will be optional and the cars will accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than 6 to 9 seconds.
The performance vehicles are more interesting as
they will have a front electric motor with more than 268 hp. It can be
backed up by two additional electric motors that each produce more than 268 hp. The models are also slated to have an optional torque vectoring
system and a 0-100 km/h time of less than three seconds.
