July 28, 2017—BMW announced that all brands and model series can be electrified, and will offer a full-electric (EV) or hybrid plug-in drivetrain as an option to internal combustion engine vehicles. The company predicts that electrified vehicles will account for 15 to 25 percent of its sales by 2025.
This is in addition to recent EV news, including Volvo’s declaration that all models launched after 2019 would be hybrid or electric vehicles (EV), making the company the first major traditional automaker to set a date for phasing out vehicles powered solely by the internal combustion engine.
With more major automakers promising shareholders and the driving public that everyone can expect EVs and hybrids in the near future—which includes Tesla's Model 3 going on sales for the masses—Craig Van Batenburg, founder of the Automotive Career Development Center, says now is the time for auto repair shops to invest in hybrid/EV training.
In announcing its sales data for 2017’s first quarter, BMW has shown substantial growth in its electric car department. Sales for BMW’s i3 and i8 plug-ins doubled from 2016’s report, totaling deliveries of nearly 20,000 units in just the first three months of 2017. Currently, EV sales account for three percent of BMW's overall sales
BMW group currently offers nine electrified options, ranging from the BMW i3 to the latest fully electric MINI Cooper S E Countryman ALL4. Additional electrified models will be brought to market “in the coming years and beyond 2020,” and future vehicle design will lead to more fully-electric vehicles.
