BMW Group reaffirms electrification strategy; five EVs in two years

The company will continue expanding plug-in hybrid powertrains across its lineup.

BMW has released an update to its electrification roadmap, promising to have no less than five pure battery-powered EVs on the market within just two years.

Joining the current i3, the all-electric MINI is scheduled to enter production this year. The group's global EV lineup will add the iX3 in China next year, followed by the iNEXT and i4 (pictured) in 2021.

The German automaker seems more focused on plug-in hybrids than EVs in the next few years, apparently expecting EV demand to be limited in the near term.

"We don't want to tell people what to do; we want our products to inspire people all over the world," said BMW chief Harald Krüger. "Our flexible electrification strategy underlines this approach and enables us to serve very different regions of the world, as the introduction of alternative drive trains is proceeding at a different pace in different markets."

The company plans to offer at least 25 electrified models by 2025, half of which will be fully electric.