BMW is working on long-range electric vehicles that could rival Tesla

BMW is eyeing to soon launch electric vehicles that could travel up to 700 km (435 miles)before needing to be recharged for another full-electric zero-emission driving experience.

This capability would be made possible by BMW’s fifth generation of storage and powertrain technologies. These storage and powertrain technologies were reported to be making their debut on the upcoming BMW i5, which was recently previewed by the BMW i Vision Dynamics concept at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show.

BMW designed the new BMW i Vision Dynamics as a progressive, four-door Gran Coupe that envisions its future electric mobility between the BMW i3 and BMW i8. Harald Kruger, Chairman of the Board of Management at BMW AG, remarked that the BMW i Vision Dynamics concept visualizes how the German carmaker partly plans to implement its NUMBER ONE > NEXT strategy. This strategy partly entails the offering of around 25 electrified models – 12 of which will be all-electric – by 2025.

In terms of design, the BMW i Vision Dynamics could accelerate from nil to 100 km/h (62 mph) in only four seconds, on the way to reaching a top speed of more than 200 km/h (120 mph). The BMW i Vision Dynamics concept has an all-electric range of 600 km (373 miles). This effectively places Tesla’s electric vehicles on BMW’s crosshairs. Tesla’s latest offering, the Model 3, could be fitted with a long range battery that allows it to go as far as 310 miles before having to recharge.

BMW, however, should ensure first that powertrain improvement would also seep into its new products, its plug-in hybrid offerings in particular. Realistically, BMW’s 530e iPerformance only offers to travel up to 50 km (31 miles) in all-electric mode. The German premium carmaker is hoping that further advancements should improve the vehicle’s all-electric range by up to 100 percent, or to 100 km (62 miles).

Seen to be launched in 2021, the upcoming i5 should feature a number of details, technologies and elements found in the BMW i Vision Dynamics concept. With a length of 4,800 mm, width of 1,933 mm, and height of 1,387 mm, the BMW i Vision Dynamics concept is expected to be laden with advanced autonomous driving technology, with an eye to make the production version have an autonomous capability of Level 3 or Level 4.

The new BMW i Vision Dynamics concept still features the already iconic BMW kidneys although these are now prominent and enclosed. Having no large grille openings, the kidneys function as an intelligent surface in which sensors are embedded. The BMW i Vision Dynamics concept also reinterprets the classical BMW four-eyed face, making use of two freestanding LED elements on each side of the kidneys.