New EVs Coming from BMW: Up to 700 km Range

Speaking at BMW's recent financial results conference, CEO Harald Krüger confirmed big electric plans for the company: a new sedan, a new crossover, and electric range of up to 700 km.

The new sedan will be the i4. Announced in Geneva, it will be based on the i Vision Dynamics concept that was shown off late last year. That car is expected in 2020. The i Vision Dynamics used BMW styling in new ways. Like the side windows showing the BMW kidney normally reserved for the grille. It's also sharper than the styling of current BMWs. When it launched, BMW said that the production car wouldn't be far from the concept.

BMW is also introducing what it calls a new technology flagship in the iNext. That vehicle, which the automaker has said previously would be a crossover of some type, will be a modular and scalable vehicle. BMW has previously referred to it as a game-changer, saying it will be able to easily add new technologies and improvements in electrification. It will launch autonomous driving for BMW in 2021.

These vehicles are expected to arrive in concept form, as is a new iX3 model that Kruger said would appear at the Beijing show in April before a launch in 2019. A pure-electric Mini will also appear next year.

The new electric BMWs will use the fifth generation of BMW's eDrive technology. BMW says that will mean an electric range of 550 to 700 km on electric power, depending on the model. While Kruger didn't specify which test gave that range estimate, even on the more generous NEDC test cycle, 700 km is at the top of the current chart. As an example, the NR Canada rated 383 km Chevrolet Bolt gets 520 km on the European cycle.

So expect more electrification from BMW over the next year, along with an autonomous test fleet that will double this year as BMW works toward becoming the ultimate self-driving machine.