BMW’s future includes more electrification, increased levels of autonomy and the addition of new models including an i8 Spyder and more high-performance M cars.
Reports had called the existence of the i8 Spyder into question, but the car was confirmed by BMW in a release of its plans for the future. BMW says that new drop-top i8 will arrive “in the coming years,” along with a plug-in hybrid MINI. BMW also revealed that the i3 will be getting a larger battery pack and additional range before the end of 2016.
BMW confirmed the “further expansion of the M product range,” though no details were offered on what those performance models would be. On the flip side, electric mobility and lightweight construction are also being prioritized by BMW, though the brand also says it is committed to the internal combustion engine and is working to make their gas-burning units more efficient.
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Along with the announcement of these upcoming products, BMW announced project i 2.0, which is an investment into future technologies including high definition digital maps, sensor technology, cloud technology and artificial intelligence. In the short term, the brand says that the its current autonomous technology fitted to the new 7 Series, which includes a stereo camera and five radar sensors, will begin to spread to other models in the coming years.
All of this new investment into future technology will be first be seen in an all-new BMW i model, which will be released under the BMW iNEXT banner.
“BMW iNEXT heralds the next era of mobility,” stated Harald Krüger, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “This symbol of our technology leadership will demonstrate how we will bring the future of mobility into series production.” All of the technology that debuts in the BMW i range will eventually be transferred out into the entire BMW model range.
Research into hydrogen fuel cells continues at BMW as well, with current test vehicles able to travel about 430 miles on a single tank.
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