These two new models, already in development at the FIZ centre in Munich, will be sold alongside updated versions of the current 1 Series and 2 Series with internal combustion engines.
The aim is to provide potential buyers with more affordable alternatives in BMW's electric car range.
The new i1 is expected to be sold in hatchback and sedan body styles, while the i2 will be a compact crossover. Insiders describe the i2 as the successor to BMW's debut electric car, the i3 hatchback, launched in 2013 and discontinued in 2022.
BMW division chief Bernd Körber recently told Autocar that the brand wants to grow in all markets and "connect with the younger generation", and to do that, it needs to have entry-level models such as the 1 and 2 Series.
The company plans to launch the electric i1 in 2027 and the sportier i2 in 2028. But while the updated 1 Series and 2 Series will remain on the existing FAAR platform, the two new compact electric cars have been developed on the new 800V Neue Klasse Special Electric Architecture, designed to accommodate single-, two- and four-motor electric drivetrains.
The new i1 and i2 will be the first BMW models built on the Neue Klasse platform of the NBx version, with standard front-wheel drive or optional all-wheel drive.
Source: Autocar
