BMW i Vision Dynamics Concept: This Is the i5

“He who comes too late is punished by life,” former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev once famously said. But that can be true for those who come too early as well, as the BMW Group learned with its ambitious lineup of production electric cars. The automaker first launched the Mini E nearly a decade ago, followed by the 1-series–based ActiveE a couple of years later. In 2013, it then sent the i3 into the world, and BMW said it had never been so proud to launch a new product. But alas, sales of the i3 have proved severely lacking. BMW simply came too early to what’s still a nascent segment, and it was punished.

But the Bavarian company isn’t about to stop letting the electrons flow. After a gap in new products from its i electric-vehicle sub-brand, the awkwardly named BMW i Vision Dynamics comes to take up the torch raised by last year’s iNext concept. It takes things a step further, however, hinting at a production car likely to be called the i5 and being distinguished from other BMWs by a fully electric powertrain and extensive autonomous-driving functionality.

BMW says the i Vision Dynamics can travel up to 373 miles on an electric charge, albeit using the optimistic European test cycle. BMW claims it can zip from a standstill up to 62 mph in 4.0 seconds and will top out around 125 mph. When the car moves into series production, BMW will differentiate levels by battery capacity. The future M experience, it seems, could be a bigger battery and not necessarily a more powerful internal-combustion engine.

We don’t yet get a glimpse of the interior, but we are led to believe it will resemble a cavernous and beautifully equipped lounge. The electric powertrain with small motors allows for generous space, and the series-production model will feature cutting-edge infotainment. Depending on the legal environment, the i5 could feature Level 4 (no driver needed but might be limited to certain parameters or locations) or even Level 5 (fully autonomous with no restrictions) autonomous driving. That means you could enjoy your trip without ever needing to pay attention to the road and the vehicle’s surroundings like, say, a traffic jam.

The concept’s styling evolves many established BMW design cues in a futuristic way. The prominent, stylized front kidneys cover a plethora of sensors, LED headlights serve up a new interpretation of the four-eye design, and the side view is dominated by a curious daylight opening with a raised center section. Meanwhile, the Hofmeister kink at the C-pillar has virtually disappeared. The rear end is dominated by large taillights that are clearly inspired by those of the i8 plug-in hybrid.

When it launches in 2021, the i5 will meet a number of competitors from Volkswagen, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz’s EQ brand, as well as Tesla and others. (BMW also plans to have electrified versions of its full lineup of conventional cars by 2020.) BMW got punished for being too early with the i3, but given the pace of the market, the i5 could come just at the right moment.