It is reported that new electric cars will be introduced by 2028. New budget electric cars will use Neue Klasse architecture. It is likely that the BMW i1 will be offered in hatchback and sedan bodies, and the i2 will be a crossover or a coupe-crossover.
As reported by Carscoops, sources close to BMW say the i1 and i2 will debut as all-electric alternatives to the gasoline-powered 1-Series and 2-Series in 2027 and 2028, respectively. The automaker wants to keep gasoline models on the assembly line as long as possible, so it's likely that these cars will continue to live until the end of the decade.
It is claimed that BMW will position the i2 as an ideological successor to the company's first electric car – the BMW i3. There are no official details on the upcoming models, however, insiders claim that they will receive the BMW Neue Klasse design language. In addition, the new products will be a kind of “starting point” in the line of BMW electric cars, so they will be located below the iX1.
Autocar notesthat the BMW i1 and i2 will run on the new 800 in the Neue Klasse architecture called NBx, which may also underpin future generations of the BMW iX1 and Mini Countryman Electric, as it is designed for front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive models.
BMW product boss Bernd Kerber said the models may have “lower profitability” but are still important for the company to “connect with the younger generation”. He also added that the first Neue Klasse models are currently in the “final stage” of development and are being prepared for production.
“We created the first pre-production cars and drove them”– said Kerber.
BMW intends to launch six new models based on the Neue Klasse architecture within two years from the debut of the first such car in 2025.