BMW wants roughly every fifth car it sells to be powered by an electric powertrain by the year 2023, as against the 8% that it currently sells
German luxury carmaker BMW is reportedly working on electrifying at least 20% of its portfolio by the year 2023. The manufacturer is planning to increase the production of electric vehicles, told Oliver Zipse, CEO, BMW to German daily Augsburger Allgemeine.
“We are significantly increasing the number of electric vehicles. Between 2021 and 2023, we will build a quarter of a million more electric cars than originally planned”, Zipse told the newspaper’s Monday edition. The carmaker wants every fifth car it sells to be powered by an electric engine by 2023, as against the 8% that it currently manages to sell.
Zipse also reiterated the company’s aim to speed up the expansion of charging infrastructure. In order to have a seamless transition to electric mobility, 15,000 private and about 1,300 public charging points would have to be put into operation every week as of today, the manager calculates. However, he confirms that the company is a long way from that.
As of now, BMW retails no fully electric car in the Indian market. Instead, the Bavarian luxury automaker is working on launching the 3 Series Gran Limousine in India next month, which is basically the long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series sedan. Talking about the upcoming new model, it will have a 2961 mm long wheelbase, which is 110 mm longer than the standard model.
In addition, the 3 Series Gran Limousine will also be 120 mm longer than the regular 3 Series, and also slightly taller. The longer wheelbase results in extra 43 mm of legroom for the rear passengers, while the larger rear doors make getting in and out easier. The rear seat comfort has also been improved, with better cushioning and bolstering.
No changes are expected to be made in the powertrain department, and the long-wheelbase version will likely carry over the same 2.0-litre turbo petrol and diesel engines. The former puts out 258 PS and 400 Nm, while the oil burner is rated at 193 PS/400 Nm. If it isn’t too obvious by now, the long-wheelbase version of the 3 Series will be priced higher than the regular sedan, which is currently priced between Rs 42.30 – 49.30 lakh (ex-showroom).