According to BMW’s projections, the Bavarian brand is expecting to sell around 60,000 electric an hybrid cars by the end of 2016. But by the end of 2017, BMW wants to increase its electric and hybrid sales to 100,000 annually.
According to Sueddeutsche Zeitung speaking with BMW CEO Harald Krueger, BMW is very serious about increasing electric and hybrid sales, likely to quiet the criticism of BMW and its lack of EVs. “Electric mobility will come, but demand is not going through the roof at the moment,” Krueger told SZ.
To do so, BMW has increased the battery range of the BMW i3, from 81 miles to 114 miles, putting it over that 100 mile mark that starts to ease the mind of range-anxious buyers. While 114 miles is still less than that of a Tesla, the i3 is designed more to be a small and nimble city car, so its range is more than sufficient. BMW also wants to increase its model range of electric and hybrid cars. With iPerformance technology being implemented into the standard model lines for BMW, its plug-in hybrid range is growing.
Cars like the BMW 740e, 330e and X5 xDrive40e are expanding BMW’s plug-in model line and they’re just the beginning. BMW plans on developing a plug-in hybrid variant of the upcoming G30-generation 5 Series and will be making hybrid versions of the new X3 and even Z4. So the Bavarians have a very serious commitment to plug-in hybrid and full-ev technology. Hopefully for BMW, those additions and that commitment to electrification will boost its sales to that 100,000 mark.
[Source: Reuters]
