Klaus Froehlich, BMW head of design and research wants the i sub-brand in a unique direction, welcoming self-driving vehicles along with EVs.
Simply a few years into its short time, BMW’s i sub-brand is changing its objective from the pursuit of the electric vehicles to building the ultimate autonomous. As Klaus Froehlich states.
“[BMW i] is now in ramp-up phase,” Froehlich told Reuters. “We call it Project i Next.”
Project i Next won’t desert the electrical vehicle design, rather its next EV will include the next-generation of self-driving innovation. This is not the very first time there has been reports about BMW’s autonomous goals, however it’s the first time we’ve heard of a new name or classification for the brand name. As Reuters noted, BMW will not sell its next i-badged EV until 2021– whether that’s the oft-rumored i5 or another vehicle entirely continues to be to be seen. Whatever BMW calls it, driverless tech will be a top priority.
Froelich included that such a vehicle could allow the automaker to fire up its own ride-hailing service to compete Uber and Lyft, and their automobile allies, Toyota and General Motors. BMW is still dealing with its collaboration technique in that world, Froelich informed Reuters.
