BMW i5 cancelled, will focus on EV versions of regular models – report

The BMW i5 has reportedly been cancelled, with the company electing to spend its EV dollars on electrifying models in the regular BMW range.

Several sources have informed BMW Blog the Bavarian automaker has scrapped plans for a third distinct model for the BMW i range.

Above: BMW i5 patent rendering.

Last year patent renderings surfaced pointing to a new family-friendly BMW i model. Thought to be branded as the i5, the new model featured a larger and more practical body, although it still retained the i3’s suicide doors and avant garde styling.

With a more spacious interior and an improved driving range, the i5 would be targeted at the Tesla Model S.

If this report turns out to be correct, the only immediate short-term addition to the i range will be the upcoming i8 Spyder. The company has also confirmed it will launch an autonomous vehicle, dubbed iNext, in 2021.

Above: 2016 BMW Vision Next 100.

Earlier this week, Harald Krueger told reporters, the Mini EV and all-electric BMW X3 “mark the beginning of the second wave of electrification for the BMW Group”.

Although not ruling out further additions to the BMW i range, Krueger stated the company’s focus is now to “incorporate all-electric, battery-powered mobility into our core brands”.

He noted “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”.