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      03-15-2020, 03:03 AM   #11
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BMW Group Cutting 50 Percent Of 'Traditional Drivetrain Variants'

By: Christopher Smith

Quote:
It seems BMW Group is ready to go all-in for hybrid and fully electric vehicles. The German automaker released a wealth of financial info today, marking the end of its 2019 financial year with news that profits were up. Revenues for the group – which includes BMW’s auto and motorcycle divisions as well as Mini and Rolls-Royce – exceeded €100 billion for the first time in its history. Briefly mentioned in the lengthy press release, however, was word that powertrain changes were coming to half of BMW Group’s current offerings, and the revolution kicks off next year.

Specifically, the press release says:
Quote:
On the product side, up to 50 per cent of traditional drivetrain variants will be eliminated from 2021 onwards in the transition to creating enhanced, intelligent vehicle architectures – in favor of additional electrified drivetrains.
What exactly does this mean? The announcement doesn’t spell out details on specific models, but the shift to electrification is clear. Starting in 2021, BMW will take larger steps to transition from internal-combustion drivetrain systems to hybrid and electric systems. That doesn’t mean half of its current models will disappear in the coming years, though a thinning of the fleet is certainly likely. It should also be noted that this applies to the BMW Group, not just BMW proper.

BMW’s electric transformation is already underway. The i3 is expected to endure through at least 2024, and the Mini Cooper SE is available now. The iX3 SUV should go on sale next year in Europe, and BMW recently revealed its i4 Concept that closely previews the production model slated to debut in 2021. And of course, there’s the iNext SUV that should appear next year as well. The i3 is its own vehicle, but the other models have close ties to gasoline-powered siblings in BMW’s lineup. Going by BMW’s own words, it's possible the days could be numbered for those internal-combustion variants.
BMW Group Cutting 50 Percent Of 'Traditional Drivetrain Variants'
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