It may be a tough pill to swallow, but the BMW i Division is now a decade old.
BMW and its German rivals may be a little behind the curve when it comes to pure electric vehicles, but they’ve been working away at the problem for many years now. Back in 2011, they formed the BMW i sub-brand and 10 years later, they’re finally on the cusp of launching competitive electric vehicles.
The tenth year anniversary of the BMW i brand coincides with the launch of much more competitive all-electric vehicles. Yes, you could buy an all-electric i3, but it had a dismal range of 156km on a full charge. To improve the range to 290km, a range extender model was sold alongside the all-electric version.
BMW’s upcoming all-electric vehicles, like the iX and iX3 offer 600km and 458km respectively – a huge improvement. They’ve also electrified practically every BMW model today. Even models like the facelifted 5 Series get mild-hybrid powertrains in most markets. It’s only a matter of time before BMW i branding becomes synonymous with BMW branding in general.
To learn more about this story, check out the press release below.
PRESS RELEASE
The pioneer in the field of sustainable mobility celebrates its anniversary. The BMW i brand was launched ten years ago. The official launch for the anniversary will take place on Sunday, 21 February 2021.
At https://www.bmw.com/en/innovation/bmw-i-10-year-anniversary.html we will look back at the milestones of the first decade of BMW i – from the birth of the brand in 2011 to the BMW iX which will be launched soon. The tenth anniversary of the BMW i brand will also be the focus of a broad-based information campaign on the other social media channels of the BMW Group, which will continue until the International Motor Show (IAA) 2021.
BMW i stands for the transformation of individual mobility and plays a central role within the BMW Group as a future workshop and innovation driver for the entire company. The brand is characterised by a holistic approach to sustainability. The current progress in the future fields of D-ACES (Design, Autonomous, Connected, Electrified and Services/Shared) is closely linked to BMW i.
How strongly the role of BMW i as a pioneer of visionary mobility influences the vehicle development of the BMW Group is particularly evident in the anniversary year. Production of the BMW iX will begin in just a few months. The all-electric BMW i model is the BMW Group’s new technology flagship in the areas of design, automated driving, connectivity, electric mobility and digital services. This will be followed just a little later by the world premiere of the BMW i4, which transfers the purely electric driving pleasure to the brand’s core segment, the sporty premium mid-size class, for the first time.
BMW i and eDrive Technology
Both models now feature fifth-generation BMW eDrive technology. This sets the standard in the competitive environment of electrified vehicles not only thanks to the outstanding efficiency of the electric drive and the long range achieved through state-of-the-art battery cell technology. The design principle of the engine, which makes it possible to dispense with rare earths, also shows how sustainability has become the central development goal of the BMW Group which goes far beyond locally emission-free driving.
In addition, the use of raw materials obtained in accordance with strict environmental and social standards, an exceptionally high proportion of recycled and secondary materials and the use of electricity generated 100 per cent from renewable sources in the production of the model all contribute to the forward-looking character of the BMW iX.
Electric mobility will keep gaining importance in the future and develop into a significant driver for sustainable growth. The goal of the BMW Group is to offer 25 electrified models by 2023. In addition, the plan is to have more than seven million electrified vehicles on the road worldwide by 2030, two-thirds of which will be fully electric. As part of the model offensive the BMW Group is consistently pursuing, the next generation of the BMW 7 Series luxury sedans, for example, will be offered in a purely electric variant. Subsequently, the high-volume BMW 5 Series and BMW X1 series will also be launched with a fully electric drive.
