BMW Considering Large Electric Utility Vehicle

BMW i3 (Credit: BMW)

A new report claims that BMW is getting ready to take the fight to the upcoming Tesla Model X. The German automaker would be joining a growing list of companies that are looking to take on the new all-electric utility vehicle, which is set to launch this fall.

It’s a significant move, if true, because out of all the German brands, BMW has the most advanced electrification program in place. On top of that, some claim that the i3 is a more revolutionary car than the Model S, a fact that has ruffled quite a few feathers. But that’s what BMW does so well, or at least it did back in the day, rocking the boat and shaking things up.

This information comes from a German newspaper called Wirtschaftswoche. The report also claims that the automaker’s board is seriously looking at using the upcoming X7 as the base for the new electric vehicle, which would make it a full-size SUV (or SAV, to get technical).

Apparently, BMW is waiting to see how the public takes to the Tesla Model X before it decides to move forward. While some electric vehicle enthusiasts think that the new model will be a smash hit, there is of course a degree of risk that Tesla is taking on. That the Model X will be a flop seems unlikely, considering that already tens of thousands of consumers have put down deposits on the vehicle.

The new X7-based vehicle wouldn’t be the only EV to wear the BMW badge. Supposedly, the company is developing an i5, which will be a crossover that’s based on the X3. The anticipated launch date of the new model is sometime in 2017.

If BMW will actually start churning out more all-electric vehicles, consumers who want to get off gasoline and diesel will have more choices. Stay tuned for more information as it leaks out.