BMW might build an electric 2 Series
BMW trademarks the name i2 for a possible EV model
It seems that there is no stopping BMW's march towards electrification. At the moment, almost every model they have is available with a plug-in hybrid option, and they also expanded their battery-powered portfolio.
The electric vehicles sold by BMW are the i3 and iX3, along with the upcoming i4 and iX. Not content with just four EVs, BMW appears set to add another one. That's because they recently trademarked the name i2. So, what can it be?
If we were to follow BMW's nomenclature, this will likely be an electric version of the 2 Series. However, the 2 Series line-up is so expansive, it's difficult to pinpoint which body style will become electrified. The best bet here is the front-wheel-drive-oriented models, namely the 2 Series Gran Coupe and the 2 Series Gran Tourer.
Specifically, it is more likely that the Gran Coupe version gets electric power. That's because the first non-crossover EV from BMW was the i4. The i4 is heavily based on the 4 Series Gran Coupe, so the manufacturer might do the same for its smaller sibling.
With the i2 trademarked, does this mean other BMW models will get electric power? BMW isn't slowing down their electric car development, so we might see them trademark names such as i5 or i7. We're also expecting electric versions of the X5, X6, and even the X7.
For now, it's baby steps for the German automaker when it comes to electrification. While they expand their plug-in hybrid and electric line-up, they won't abandon combustion engines in the foreseeable future. They even said that they won't stop developing fuel-fed engines just yet, which seems to be the stand of most German automakers.
But just because they still build combustion engines, it doesn't mean that will halt BMW's shift towards electric power. By 2030, the company targets 50 percent of their sales will be composed of pure electric vehicles, while the remaining half will consist of a mix between combustion-powered vehicles and plug-in hybrids. Either way, BMW is ramping up its electrification efforts for this decade.
