BMW is developing a fully electric version of its 5-Series and 7-Series sedans, as well as its entry-level SUV X1, the company announced Monday, detailing a renewed effort to reduce its overall emissions.
That means that almost all of the most popular cars from the German luxury car maker will soon have all-electric variants. A fully electric version of the 3 Series, the most popular BMW car in the US, has already been seen, in camouflage testing, and the next BMW i4 is expected to enter the Series 4 line. Earlier this month, the company unveiled the iX3 production, the all-electric version of its best-selling X3 SUV. BMW has also sparked the iNext SUV, which looks similar to the slightly larger X5.
To be sure, BMW does not only Sell these fully electric variants. The company will continue to manufacture gasoline, soft hybrid, and plug-in hybrid options. But BMW says it is trying to reduce the average amount of CO2 its vehicles produce by at least a third in the next 10 years. By then, the company estimates that there will be more than 7 million BMW Group “electrified” vehicles (including those from subsidiaries like Mini) on the road, of which approximately 4.6 million will be fully electric. (The company currently sells around 2.5 million vehicles per year.)
BMW says it also strives to create the “most sustainable supply chain in the entire industry” for its electric vehicles, including the fact that its new battery provider agrees to use only “100 percent green energy.” President Oliver Zipse said the company has developed a “detailed ten-year plan with annual interim targets for the period up to 2030” and that BMW “will report on our progress each year and we will measure ourselves against these targets.”
“I firmly believe that the fight against climate change and the way we use resources will decide the future of our society and of the BMW Group. As a premium car company, our ambition is to lead the way towards sustainability. That is why we are taking responsibility here and now and making these issues central to our future strategic direction, “Zipse said in a statement.
Like many other legacy automakers, BMW is competing to get ahead of stringent emissions regulations in Europe and China. Some cities in Europe are even banning internal combustion engines entirely. The company was once seen as one of the pioneers in the electric vehicle space, but it eventually doubled in internal combustion cars. The German automaker has not only lost market share since then, but is also one of the companies most directly impacted by the Tesla boom, as Elon Musk has been targeting the same wealthy buyers that BMW covets.
