German automaking giant BMW has confirmed that they will be unveiling the production version of its latest EV, the iNext SUV next week. According to BMW, this is their response to the American EV manufacturing company, Tesla. With the iNext, BMW is planning to capture the mainstream EV market that has been Tesla’s kingdom since the past couple of years.
BMW To Reveal Its Tesla-Fighting iNext Electric SUV Next week
However BMW, unlike its other German counterparts like Audi and Mercedes has been really slow in stepping into the Electric realm. Both Audi and Mercedes have a number of EVs in their portfolio that has been largely well-received by the consumers. More recently, the company has launched the Mini Cooper SE Electric (Mini is owned by BMW) and the BMW iX3 electric SUV, but both vehicles aren’t up there with their competitors, as they suffer from significant compromises.
The Mini Cooper SE Electric isn’t equipped with BMW’s latest electric powertrain technology and the BMW iX3 SUV isn’t even coming to the US because it was shunned by BMW dealerships in the country due to its compromised range. Most of the EVs sold in the US come with a significantly higher range compared to the iX3.
Although, it can be said that, the aforementioned vehicles from BMW’s stable were hinting at the company’s future and paving the way for the iNext. The iNext supposedly has all the cutting-edge bells and whistles from BMW’s closet.
BMW’s head of sales and marketing, Ian Robertson, previously was skeptical about Tesla’s ability to mass-produce the Model 3 at just $35000, and in the process, he said that the iNext would be the real competitor in the segment. However, Mr. Robertson shared these thoughts prior to the launch of 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, But BMW has made it clear that they have sights set on capturing Tesla’s market share with iNext and the EVs that might follow it in the coming years.
The iNext concept was unveiled by the company back in 2018, and BMW has confirmed the production version will be unveiled on November 11.
BMW wrote in a press release:
“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.”
The final designs and the specs will supposedly be made public during the event. Not much is known about the capabilities of the iNext, but BMW executives have previously mentioned that the car will have an incredible range of 435-miles – 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.
