BMW has confirmed that all of its cars will come with a fully electric or plug-in hybrid option, alongside conventional engines. It is also planning to have more fully-electric versions in its next generation of models. The announcement comes as the company confirmed that its fully electric MINI will go into production in 2019 and will be built in Oxford, where the MINI 3-door is currently produced.
MINI's electric logo. The three-door electric version will go into production in two years time.
BMW says its production system will be innovative and will be able to react rapidly to customer demand. When required, electric production can be ramped up as the market demands - a more cautious approach to that of Volvo, which has committed to the likely phasing out of diesel and petrol engines by about 2023.
BMW also says that factors "such as regulation, incentives and infrastructure" will all play a part in determining the scale of electrification from market to market - an indication perhaps that the company foresees a less smooth transition to electrification than other manufacturers. However, it still has widest range of electrified cars of any car manufacturer. The i8 Roadster will be launched in 2018 and the electric version of the X3 will be launched in 2020.
