A patent published in Japan and registered to BMW appears to offer the best look yet at the upcoming next model in the BMW i-electric range.
The patent was originally filed in April and reveals a vehicle that looks similar in essence to the i3, albeit a larger, longer hatchback with four full-sized doors.
In the past year, there has been plenty of rumours and speculation about when BMW would unveil a new electric or hybrid car to bridge the gap between the i3 hatchback and the i8 coupe.
Bridges gap between i3 and i8
Widely expected to be called the i5, news of the car surfaced as far back as August last year, when BMW’s CEO Harald Krueger hinted that a new i-electric model would be on the way soon.
Some had suggested that the car could be a crossover or an SUV, but from the images it appears as though it’ll stay more closely to BMW’s reputation for building luxury saloons.
It’s possible that the i5 could be based on the existing 3 Series or the 5 Series to rival the likes of Tesla’s Model 3 or Model S, but it’s unclear whether it’ll be fully electric or a hybrid.
Possible plug-in hybrid
However, BMW i product chief Henrik Wender has said in the past that future i-electric cars would feature range-extender options like the i3, meaning the i5 could have a small engine to boost its range.
Interestingly, the patent documents also reveal that BMW has patented names from i1 to i9, meaning that it could potentially offer an i-electric car to cover virtually all market segments.
It’s not yet know when BMW plans to reveal its patented new i-electric car, or indeed what the final name for it will be, but it’s expected that more will be revealed in the near future.