BMW to produce fully electric 5, 7, and X1 series

In addition to the 5 Series and 7 Series sedans, BMW is developing an all-electric version of the entry-level X1 SUV.

This development means that almost all of the most popular cars of the German luxury car manufacturer will soon have all the electric variations. An all-electric version of the 3 Series, BMW's most popular car in the US, was noticed in the camouflage test and is expected to enter the 4 Series series of the upcoming BMW i4. Earlier this month, the company announced the production of the iX3, the all-electric version of the best-selling X3 SUV. BMW also imitated the iNext SUV, which resembles the slightly larger X5.

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Of course, BMW will not only sell these fully electric variants. The company will continue to produce gas-powered, lightweight hybrid and plug-in hybrid options. However, BMW says it is trying to reduce its vehicles' average CO2 by at least a third over the next 10 years. By then, the company estimates that there will be more than 7 million "electric" BMW Group vehicles (including those from subsidiaries such as Mini) on the road, of which about 4 million are fully electric. (The company currently sells about 2.5 million vehicles a year.)

BMW claims that the new battery supplier is trying to create the "most sustainable supply chain industry" for its electric vehicles, including ensuring that they only accept "100 percent green power". President Oliver Zipse said that the company has developed "a detailed ten-year plan with annual intermediate targets for the time period until 2030" and that BMW will "report on our progress each year and measure ourselves against these targets".

Like many other car manufacturers, BMW is competing to prevent strict emissions regulations in Europe and China. Some cities in Europe explicitly prohibit internal combustion engines. The company was once considered one of the pioneers in the field of electric vehicles, but ultimately doubled in internal combustion cars. The German automaker has not only lost its market share, but it is also one of the companies most directly affected by Tesla's rise, because Elon Musk is targering at the same luxury car lovers as BMW.

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