BMW confirmed that it plans to unveil the production version of its BMW iNext, an electric vehicle that the German automaker has previously described as its response to Tesla, next week.
Since the launch of the BMW i3, the German automaker has been taking things extremely slowly when it comes to all-electric vehicles.
More recently, the automaker has launched the Mini Cooper SE Electric and the BMW iX3 electric SUV, but both vehicles have significant compromises.
The former launched without BMW’s latest electric powertrain technology and the latter isn’t even coming to the US because BMW’s dealerships apparently weren’t interested in the electric SUV due to its range.
In many ways, these new electric vehicles were just setting the stage for the BMW iNext, which the automaker has been hyping a lot over the years.
BMW’s head of sales and marketing, Ian Robertson, previously shared doubts about Tesla’s ability to produce Model 3 in volume at $35,000, and in the process, he said that the iNext would be the real competitor in the segment.
However, that was prior to Tesla launching the Model Y, which is likely going to be a closer competitor to the iNext considering pictures of the prototypes show that it more of a crossover or small SUV:
Nonetheless, BMW has been framing the iNext as its response to Tesla.
The German automaker unveiled the concept iNext vehicle in 2018, but BMW confirmed today that the production version will be unveiled on November 11.
BMW wrote in a press release today:
“The #NEXTGen 2020 event is split up into various online formats. It all kicks off with the series “Chasing iNEXT” that has been made in the style of streaming services. The six fun episodes that have been produced by the Cologne-based company btf (bildundtonfabrik, whose work includes “How to sell drugs online (fast)”) are informative, playful, entertaining, ironic and – at many times – surprising. The film crew chase through all sorts of different departments at the BMW Group searching for the BMW iNEXT, whose final design will be revealed for the first time at 2.00 pm (CET) on 11 November at bmw.com/NEXTGen. The series shows the BMW Group, its employees and the technology behind the company’s new flagship from a brand-new perspective. This includes unusual insights into the inner workings of the BMW Group, plus some unexpected moments with international stars. The soundtrack for the series, for example, comes from film score composer and Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer.”
We should get to see the final design and specs for the BMW iNext.
Not much is known about the capabilities of the iNext, but BMW executives have previously talked about an insane 435-mile range — though they have revised it down to 360 miles last year.
The BMW iNEXT is expected to go into production at the BMW Dingolfing plant in 2021.
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