BMW i8 Roadster plug-in teaser

BMW plans a new roadster version of its BMW i8 plug-in hybrid next year and has released teaser images of a partly camouflaged prototype.

Although part of the German’s automaker’s electric BMW i brand, the vehicle is more aligned with the company’s eDrive plug-in hybrid vehicles. It features only a 7kWh battery pack, which enables about 24 EPA-rated kilometres of range on all-electric mode, reports Electrek.

The vehicle, which starts at NZ$280,000, is being assembled at a rate of over 20 daily – compared to the i3 which is at more than 100 a day. Since the launch in 2014 and by the end of last year, more than 10,000 units had been delivered.

While the company has yet to confirm any spec for the new version, it is expected to feature an updated powertrain – likely with a new battery pack leveraging the recent upgrades made in the all-electric BMW i3. Rumours of BMW bringing an all-electric powertrain to the i8 are unconfirmed.

BMW also has a series of new all-electric vehicles that should follow the BMW i8 Roadster. The first fully electric MINI is planned for 2019, a fully electric BMW X3 will follow in 2020, and the upcoming “fully electric BMW iNEXT” is scheduled for release in 2021.

An all-electric version of the BMW 3 Series has also been rumoured to be in the works to compete with Tesla’s Model 3, but the company is not confirming it.