BMW wants EV, plug-in variants of every single BMW, Mini model
The onslaught starts with an electric Mini coupe and an electric X3 crossover.
Volvo isn't the only automaker attempting to electrify its entire lineup. BMW Group wants in on the action, too.
BMW Group, which includes both BMW and Mini, announced Tuesday that it plans to electrify all brands and models under its umbrella. It's not removing gas engines at all -- rather, they'll live alongside battery-electric models and will help power plug-in hybrids , which will be offered alongside standard gas variants.
If this is where the BMW Next will draw its inspiration from, color me excited.
The goal is to start rolling out electrified versions of its cars now, eventually migrating to a next-generation platform that will allow gas cars, EVs and PHEVs to be assembled on the same line.
This ambitious plan will start with the i8 Roadster plug-in hybrid in 2018. Following that will be an all-electric Mini, which BMW Group confirmed would be a variant of the three-door Mini Hardtop. That's slated to go into production in 2019, and its follow-up will be a battery-electric BMW X3 crossover, which is slated for 2020. After that, we'll get the BMW Next, an electric flagship vehicle that will bear a resemblance to the gnarly Vision Next 100 concept.
These vehicles will be wildly important to BMW's future. BMW Group expects that electrified vehicles (including both EVs and PHEVs) will comprise between 15 and 25 percent of its lineup by 2025. That's part of the reason why it wants to build all vehicle variants at the same plant -- BMW already knows how to work in volume, so it should try to leverage that as it attempts to grab as much of this fledgling market as possible.
BMW Group's announcement isn't the first of its kind. Volvo announced in early July that it intends to electrify its entire lineup, as well. Volvo believes it will start offering EV and/or PHEV variants of all its cars as early as 2019. However, while BMW will still build gas-only versions of its vehicles, Volvo plans to ensure every new car sold after 2019 (not counting legacy models still in production) will come with some degree of electrification.
