BMW announced that it is developing all-electric variants of its 5 and 7 Series sedans, as well as the X1 SUV. The company said that the new models are part of a renewed effort to reduce CO2 emissions and increase resource efficiency.
“I firmly believe the fight against climate change and how we use resources will decide the future of our society — and of the BMW Group. As a premium car company, it is our ambition to lead the way in sustainability. That is why we are taking responsibility here now and making these issues central to our future strategic direction,” Zipse said in a statement.
The three cars will join other models from the German automaker that are also in the works of receiving the all-electric treatment. These include a 3 Series variant, the BMW i4, BMW iX3, and the new iNext SUV. The company hopes that the availability of these new eco-friendly models will help achieve its goal to reduce the average amount of CO2 its vehicles produce by at least a third over the next 10 years.
BMW said that the all-electric drive train for the aforementioned vehicles will be one of the four options offered to buyers. Other choices include a plug-in hybrid, and either a diesel or petrol version with 48-volt mild hybrid technology. The company did not reveal when exactly we’ll be expecting these all-electric variants to debut. However, BMW did add that it is expecting to have 25 electrified models on the roads by 2023, with half of them fully electric.
(Source: BMW Group via TechCrunch | Images: BMW)
