At BMW’s 2023 annual conference, the automaker announced more details and gave us a preview of its first all-electric 5-series, the i5 sedan set to launch in October. CEO Oliver Zipse added that “a fully electric performance model” from BMW M GmbH will be included in the lineup.
BMW reveals new details about its electric 5 Series sedan
Since its launch more than 50 years ago in 1972, BMW has produced more than 10 million 5-series vehicles with seven different generations.
However, the 5-series is set for its most significant update yet this year: it will go all-electric. The BMW i5, the brand’s first 5 series electric sedan will give the automaker a “truly unique selling point,” according to Zipse.
The i5 sedan is scheduled to arrive in October, followed by the i5 touring in 2024, which BMW says will continue to systematically expand its all-electric lineup.
Production of the new sedan is expected to start in the coming months exclusively at the BMW Group Dingolfing plant in lower Baravia, its largest manufacturing facility in Europe.
BMW says the i5 will take its traditional place in the automaker’s sedan portfolio between the midsize 3-series and the upscale 7-series.
Although prices were not stated, BMW has hinted at including lower-priced electric vehicles in its lineup, which several of its rivals, including Mercedes-Benz, have steered away from.
The new 5 series is “more dynamic and more comfortable than ever”, with the included BMW 8.5 operating system, the BMW curved screen found in the brand’s iX electric SUV, and innovative digital services.
Zipse said that an all-electric performance M variant will be included in the BMW 5-series lineup after the electric BMW i450 was the best-selling BMW M model in 2022, stating:
The all-electric BMW i4 M50 shows how BMW combines dynamic performance and electric mobility to perfection.
The i5 will join BMW’s growing portfolio of electric vehicles, including the new iX1, the brand’s smallest electric vehicle launched in the fourth quarter, and the BMW i7 launched last year.
BMW says its order book remains full due to its attractive BEV lineup but remains cautious heading into 2023 with higher interest rates and inflation.
