Rumors with an upcoming BMW i5 that would sit between the i3 and i8 are not new, the upcoming model being already highlighted in different reports and renderings worldwide.

A new rendering signed by OmniAuto has recently popped-up on the web and might indicate that the new autonomous drive is getting closer to reality, even if the model is reported to emerge on the market by 2020.

Once it will be launched on the market, the all-new BMW i5 will use the FSAR (Flat Battery Storage Assembly) concept, aiming at a family car which “must be capable of being the first car in the household.”

The arrival of the BMW i5 as a possible family car was also announced by Henrik Wenders, head of product at BMW, who also said that the new electric vehicle will also come with increase range.

Seen as the direct competitor of the Tesla Model X, the BMW i5 might be offered in two versions; we should see an all-electric version as well as a range-extender one. Also, the range would be also improved to about 200 miles.

The specification list is rather scarce at the moment, but with more and more renderings being launched online, we should be also able to find out more about the upcoming BMW i5.

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Marcus M.

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The post Upcoming BMW i5 Gets New Rendering appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

After rumors and renderings which announced the arrival of the BMW i5, Car and Driver auto magazine has recently launched a report according to which the model would arrive somewhere in 2020.

The famous auto publication stated that the BMW i5 would be a pure electric car and not the company`s second plug-in hybrid, as previously stated. A range-extender internal-combustion mill would also join the club.

BMW has also confirmed the news: “The range-extender plays an important part in the next years when range remains a limiting factor and a source of anxiety. Of course, once we get to a range that is more comparable with that of an internal-combustion engine it will become obsolete. So this is the reason I can say we will continue to offer the range-extender in the future as optional equipment, to address different customer needs.”

The carmaker`s third ”i” model would stand on a new platform, called flat battery storage assembly, or FSAR, meaning that it will come as a crossover with a carbon-fiber structure. The same BMW also mentioned that its plans is ”to attract families, and that means it must be capable of being the first car in the household.”

”Currently if you compare those figures and see what kind of energy investment is behind it, you often see the total carbon footprint of those models is higher than for a car with an internal-combustion engine. That doesn’t make any kind of sense,” the carmaker also concluded.

At the moment, we do not have the details concerning the performance figures, or the exterior and the interior features, but BMW has stated that it would come back with additional information shortly. Meanwhile, have a look below at the new renderings with the BMW i5, signed by RM Desing.

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Marcus M.

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The post BMW i5 Planned for 2020 appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The German based carmaker is planning to extend the “i” range by adding an i5 to the already existing all-electric i3, the model reportedly coming as a crossover, and not as a sedan or a longer i3, as previously reported.

The new report comes from Auto Express auto magazine, stating that the future BMW i5 is more likely to come as a crossover, which would prove more successful in the crossover segment.

We might be also looking here at a keen competition, especially since the upcoming i5 crossover would have to compete against other high-end models from the segment, such as the Audi Q6 e-tron or the newly arrived Tesla Model X, which basically has no competitor at the moment.

The same report also states that the BMW i5 crossover might come with a lightweight carbon fiber body style, along with an all-electric powertrain, which would come with a range mile of around 321 km. As expected, the autonomous driving technology would be also implemented.

As a reminder, the BMW i3 all-electric packs a rear-engine and a rear-wheel drive system.We are talking about an electric motor, which outputs a great 250 Nm of torque, hooked to a single-speed transmission, while the 650cc two-cylinder petrol range extender, provides an additional of 34 horsepower.

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Marcus M.

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The post BMW i5 Reported Coming as a Crossover appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

BMW is planning to expand the “i” all-electric range by building up future models which will carry out the same technology first seen on the i3 electric vehicle.

This means that the German based carmaker is well-aware of the threat posed by Tesla, and in this regard, rumors have it that it will built a new range of all-electric vehicles by the end of the decade.

One of them might be the so called BMW “i5”, which would be a stretched version of the present BMW i3, meaning a more powerful electric motor with improved mile range.

The rumors were indirectly confirmed by Ian Robertson, BMW`s board member, who told Autocar in an interview that the company is presently deciding on the type of the third “i” model. It might be decided as a plug-in hybrid or as the next “i” all-electric vehicle.

Apart the reported upcoming of an i5, the carmaker is also rumored to plan a sort of a sedan model, which would compete against Tesla`s Model III, set to arrive in a couple of years.

Of course that BMW would first have to launch a concept that would eventually lead to a production version, but so far, the information are rather scarce.

As a reminder, the BMW i3 was introduced in 2013 and represents the company`s first all-electric vehicle, packing a synchronous electric motor with170 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque.

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Marcus M.

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The post Reported BMW i5 Might Be a Longer i3 All-Electric Vehicle appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

It seems that the German based carmaker is on a constant fight against its rival in the United States, Tesla, which is strongly working on the new Tesla S. As opposed to that, BMW is also reported to cross its thumbs on the future i5 and i7 plug-in hybrids, working thus on the so called F18 PHEV project.

There is no official report on such matter, but according to CAR, the BMW is indeed preparing the two hybrids, which will be based on the 5-series four-door model with long-wheelbase, destined for the Chinese market alone and with design lines taken from the present 6-Series.

Sine we are talking here about stretch platforms, it would be logic to say that BMW i5 and i7 will use higher batteries for extra range mile, while another advantage would be the wider space inside the cabin.

Since we are talking about batteries, it would come in handy to state that both plug-in hybrids will use all three driving modes, depending on the power source. The FWD and the RWD will be used mainly on electric power, while the AWD will go on hybrid power.

With all that, BMW will not take away the conventional engine, meaning that the i5 and the i7 will come with a four-cylinder unit, developing 250 horsepower. The engine will be backed up by an electric motor at the front, with an additional 200 horsepower, while the one found at the rear, will give an extra 100 horsepower. So imagine what both of them could do with an overall of 550 horsepower.

That would be quite impressive for BMW i5 and i7 plug-in hybrids, as performance would seat around 80 mile range, which is significantly improved, as opposed to the Tesla Model S, which would go for an amazing 265 miles. But BMW will figure a way out to solve this “small” problem, until 2018, when the two models might be officially unveiled at the 2018 Frankfurt Motor Show.

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Marcus M.

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After the BMW i5 hydrogen-cell based model was recently rumored, as a future alternative to battery packs, the model in question has also appeared online in some renderings, previewing the third-generation electric model.

We are talking about the 2017 BMW i5 model which will come with some slight changes at the body, compared with the i3, which perhaps was an inspiration for the i3. Resemblances in the design cues are heavily present.

Representatives at BMW stated that the BMW i5 will be a little bigger and with a higher mile range than the present i3, but for now, the model is still in a development phase.

In terms of visuals, as seeing from the renderings, the model will come with a modified body, by extending the roof and the floors. More, the rear door structure will also be reshaped to facilitate the access of the rear passengers.

As for the powertrain under the hood, the 2017 BMW i5 will come with the same AC synchronous electric motor, developing 170 horsepower, with the REx model to be offered also.

The carmaker says that the battery will also come with some improvements, meaning that a much larger lithium-ion battery pack will be fitted on the model, leading to an increase of 200-mile driving range.

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Marcus M.

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The post 2017 BMW i5 Rendered Online appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The BMW i5 has been rumored for some time, but according to a recent report from Autocar car magazine, the model might be coming soon. More than that, the new electric car might be running on a hydrogen-fuel cell system.

The BMW manufacturer might also continue its long partnership with another important carmaker which already uses the hydrogen-cell system, the Toyota Japanese carmaker, which fitted the Toyota FCV with the aforementioned system.

This means that the BMW will use fuel cells instead of batteries, meaning that the energy density will be better than the present battery technology. Unfortunately, the German auto maker will have to come up with an idea on how to best supply the hydrogen, as it is more difficult to store hydrogen than gasoline.

But surely the carmaker will find a way out, as the advantages of using hydrogen are by far the best. First off, the i5 will be able to refuel in a matter of minutes, as both the hydrogen and the oxygen will run through a catalyst and will be transformed into spare electrons and water.

In case it will be successful with the BMW i5 running on a hydrogen-cell system, the German carmaker will manage to provide the world with another important energy alternative, while this would be also a response to the Mercedes-Benz B-Class, which will be launched on the market in 2017.

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Marcus M.

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The post BMW i5 Might Run on Hydrogen-Fuel Cells appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

For a while now, BMW has been circulating news about a third name for their brand new i sub-branch, namely the i5.

But while they have already confirmed plans for this model, they have yet to green light its production.

The reason behind this is the fact that the German car maker is not yet sure of the complete success of their first two green cars, with a greater emphasis on the small i3. They have invested heavily into developing the technologies that went into making the model, so the safe thing to do is wait until they know for sure that the i3 will sell.

So far, most signs point toward a great evolution of the small electric city car, even if not quite as “industry shifting ” as it was promised to be. There are those that say that BMW has a lot more riding on the success of the i3. With the huge investment in the development of the CFRP, the manufacturer has tied a lot of money into the i3, and should it not sell, BMW will go bankrupt. Maybe that’s going a bit far. Still, we will see if the i5 will come to fruition or not in the next period.

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Marcus M.

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The post The BMW i5 highly dependent on i3 success appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

It seems that the Germans at BMW are planning to expand the i lineup with a new electric or hybrid model. We talk about the BMW i5, a model which is now considered by the company.

Details are few at the moment but the confirmation comes from an insider from BMW. The new model could be a sedan or a crossover and will slot between the electric i3 and the i8 sports hybrid.

The same source says that a plug-in hybrid model could be the choice, which would give a new possibility for the people considering the i3 but complaining about the range.

The key features seen throughout the i range such as the CFRP cell, rear-wheel drive and carbon fiber parts, will be seen as well on the BMW i5.

With this been said, if the BMW i5 will receive green light for development, we should see it on the roads later next year or in 2015.

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Marcus M.

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The post BMW confirms that new i5 model is considered appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.