BMW i5 patent renderings point to new electric family car
Patent images, which seem to be of the upcoming BMW i5, have been discovered and published online.
These renderings were found and originally published by AutoGuide. According to the website, these images come from a Japanese patent filing that was submitted by BMW in April, but were only recently made available publicly.
The i5 - or whatever this car will be called - shares numerous design cues with the current i3 and i8.
Notably, both the i3 and i5 feature rear-hinged suicide doors, though the set on the larger i5 are full size units and do without the i3's intriguingly kinked window line.
A report last December hinted that the BMW board was close to giving the green light to a third i model. Back then the company was said to be choosing between a sedan or an SUV model — it seems as though they've decided on the latter.
Given that the company is reportedly planning to offer electric drivetrains in some of its core models from 2019, it's likely that the i5 will feature a pure EV setup.
Like the i3, the i5 may also be offered with a range extender petrol engine, which is dedicated solely to charging up the car's on-board lithium-ion battery pack.
It's unknown at this stage when the i5 will make its debut. These patent filings suggest that it will be sooner rather than later, but we've yet to see any camouflaged prototypes undergoing testing.
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