Electric BMWs are certainly in our future, although they may carry extra badging in addition to the eco-friendly powertrain. The German automaker announced it will create a new sub-brand to market its electric vehicle offerings.
BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer said that without new concepts and technologies, certain carmakers may no longer be in the market shortly after tax penalties and other incentives aimed at making the auto industry “go green” are introduced.
To deal with the forthcoming fuel economy and emissions standards, BMW’s board decided to create a sub-brand for the EV offerings. The forthcoming sub-brand will be similar to BMW’s “M”-line of performance vehicles, but will tend to greener offerings, potentially including cars, SUVs, and motorcycles. BMW has stated the first product to emerge from this new division will be an electric car.
This announcement is a bit of a surprise, seeing as the BMW Group had previously considered creating an all-new brand (its fourth, if you count BMW, Mini, and Rolls-Royce) for the EVs. This plan, however, was laid to rest in favor of a sub-brand, as it retains the BMW nameplate and reduces the time and overhead needed to bring the vehicles to market.
Source: Reuters