100,000 and counting, BMW i hits a new high

Launched in November 2013, Brand BMW i has been a pioneering technological concept for the carmaker, symbolising its innovative strength and future orientation -- all-electric and sustainable mobility. Now it has achieved a new milestone.

The BMW Group has delivered more than 100,000 all-electric cars and plug-in hybrids to customers worldwide. The i3 alone has sold more than 60,000 units, making it the most successful electric vehicle in the premium compact segment. Meanwhile, the i8 ranks first among electric sports cars, with more than 10,000 delivered since mid-2014. Additionally, about 30,000 plug-in hybrids have sold till date. The statistics reflect the successful broad-based transfer of BMW i technology to a label known today as BMW iPerformance.

“BMW i remains our spearhead in terms of innovation. It will continue to open up groundbreaking technologies for the BMW Group,” says the chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Harald Krüger. “When it comes to electric drivetrains, we’ve successfully put this technology transfer on the road. The next technological advance we will address is automated driving, where the BMW iNEXT will set a new benchmark.”

By establishing the BMW i brand and opting to develop a separate vehicle architecture and BMW eDrive technology for electric power, the Group is driving individual, sustainable mobility. Both the BMW i3, designed for locally emissions-free mobility in an urban environment, and the futuristic plug-in hybrid sports car BMW i8 are consistently geared towards sustainability, including the use of resource-efficient production methods and materials.

This also appeals to new groups of customers: more than 80 percent of BMW i3 owners worldwide are new to BMW. All in all, the BMW Group now offers seven models that either run on electric power alone like the i3, or are plug-in hybrids, combining a combustion engine and an electric motor. Other models will follow in the years to come, including a Mini Countryman plug-in hybrid in 2017. A new variant of the i8 sports car with the plug-in hybrid drive will come out in 2018 – an open-top i8 Roadster. The portfolio will be extended to include an electric Mini in 2019 and an electric X3 in 2020. At the start of the next decade, another larger BMW i model with electric drive is due to appear: the iNEXT, which will be the new innovation leader and spearhead of BMW i.