BMW Kills The I5

For a while, rumors of a planned BMW i5 have been floating around. Now, the word on the street, according to BMW Blog, is the project has been killed. That means the i division is still stuck with only two vehicles, the i3 and i8.

Supposedly, the i5 was going to be like a beefed-up version of the i3. I’ve long thought the i3 is misunderstood by EV fans and automotive enthusiasts. The weird exterior looks haven’t helped, and the i5 had the potential to move beyond that obstacle. Also, the range was supposed to be much longer, and the interior was going to be bigger. That combination sounds like a potential hit, but obviously the brass at BMW felt differently.

BMW Blog claims the decision to kill the i5 was made so more resources can be poured into the iNEXT, or an upcoming flagship vehicle from the i division. Supposedly, electrified version of plenty more BMWs are in the works, like the 4 Series and X3.

Admittedly, the i division seems to lack direction. First, it was all about electrification. Now, it’s supposed to be focusing on autonomous drive units. The division might not last in the long term, and instead we’ll just get electric versions of regular BMWs.