BMW has allegedly canceled its plan to launch the i5 electric family car, as BMW Blog is reporting several sources have informed the publication the company has decided to pull the plug on the project.
Nothing is official, but insiders suggest BMW decided against developing the model as the company’s resources could be better spent creating electrified versions of its main production lineup.
The news is far from official but seems plausible as current BMW i models are heavily specialized and feature an assortment of carbon fiber components. This drives costs up, while also limiting the flexibility of their platform.
BMW Chairman Harald Krüger seemed to hint at this direction in March: “We will incorporate all-electric, battery-powered mobility into our core brands, as we have already done successfully with our plug-in hybrid vehicles. By using highly flexible architectures we can avoid duplicate investments in plant and equipment and will be able to adapt our range of electric and conventional vehicles to changing demand both quickly and efficiently.”
If the rumors are correct, the BMW i lineup will be limited to the i3 and i8. However, the company has already promised an assortment of other electrified models including an X3 EV and an electric MINI.
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