BMW is working on a number of electric vehicles, including the i4 and iNext, but that doesn’t mean they’ve forgotten about plug-in hybrids.
Quite the opposite, actually, as board member Pieter Nota has revealed the company will have a plug-in hybrid that can drive up to 62 miles (100 km) on electricity alone.
While Nota didn’t go into specifics, he said the company is continuing to develop plug-in hybrid powertrains and promised models in certain segments will be able to go 62 miles (100 km) with zero emissions.
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Nota went on to say BMW will have 12 plug-in hybrids by the end of the year and more are on the horizon. He also expects sales to increase as the company believes electrified vehicles will account for between 15-25% of global sales by 2025. In Europe, the company expects to hit the 25% mark in 2021 and reach 50% by 2030.
Despite the oncoming onslaught on electric vehicles, Nota said plug-in hybrids offer the “best of two worlds” as they can travel short distances on electricity alone while also allowing for long trips without recharging. In particular, he said plug-in hybrids are ideal for customers who can “commute to work using only electricity, but also occasionally cover long distances and who may only have one vehicle in the household.”
While some companies are focused exclusively on electric vehicles, Nota said BMW doesn’t believe in a one size fits all approach. Instead, they want to offer customers multiple powertrain options so they can select the drive system that best suits their needs. In particular, the next-generation 7-Series will be offered with petrol and diesel engines as well as plug-in hybrid and electric powertrains.
Last but not least, Nota revealed BMW will launch a plug-in hybrid rewards program in the near future. Little is known about the program, but he said users will be given points for every kilometer they drive using electricity and those points can be exchanged for rewards. It remains unclear what those rewards will be, but it seems like an interesting perk to encourage people to drive on electricity as much as possible.
