German automaker BMW has announced that it will make electric versions of its popular 5-Series mid-sized Sedan and X1 compact SUV, part of a widened push to slash carbon emissions while wrestling with the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic.
Starting next year, BMW said it will offer five fully-electric cars, the BMW i3, MINI Cooper SE, BMW iX3, BMW iNEXT and the BMW i4.
Automakers have been under heightened scrutiny after regulators in key markets including Europe and China tightened emissions rules, forcing manufacturers to strike a balance in their fleets between combustion-engine cars that generate most profits and a greater share of battery-powered models.
In total BMW says it will have 25 electrified models on the roads by 2023, half of them fully electric.
BMW will also bolster its recycling efforts and source minerals like cobalt and lithium directly to make its supply chain more ethical, the company said.
