Yahoo Autos Why the new 2024 BMW i5 looks just like the new 5 Series
Now in its eighth generation, the BMW 5 Series is available with an electric powertrain for the first time. While the EV wears the i5 nameplate to stand out from the gasoline-powered model, the two sedans look almost exactly alike. BMW explained the thinking behind this decision.
"Why do customers ask for an electric car? It's often because the government is somehow making it more attractive for people to drive [an electric car] in the cities," BMW design boss Domagoj Dukec told me on the sidelines of the 2023 Villa d'Este Concours d'Elegance.
These buyers aren't necessarily wooed by futuristic designs. They simply want (or need) to go about their lives without burning gasoline.
"Some customers tell us, 'yeah, I would buy an electric car, but why can't you just make an X3 that is electric? Why does an electric car have to look different? I'm the same person, I want the same experience, I have the same life, and I don't want everything to become completely different.' If it becomes different, then it's different because it makes sense for everyone. For us, this is our choice," he added.
