The ultimate self-driving machine: BMW’s ‘i’ division to focus on autonomous cars

By Stephen Edelstein Updated May 11, 2019

2017 BMW i3

When BMW launched its “i” sub-brand a few years ago, the goal was to create greener cars by developing electric powertrains, and using new technologies to emphasize efficiency and sustainability in vehicle design.

BMW i will remain focused on technology, but the emphasis will shift from efficiency to autonomy. The German carmaker plans to retool its forward-thinking sub-brand to work on self-driving cars, BMW board member Klaus Froehlich told Reuters in a recent interview at the company’s Munich headquarters. The shift began in April, Froehlich said, and is now in “ramp-up stage.”

Various automakers, including Ford and Volvo, are conducting extensive testing of self-driving cars, while Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) is partnering with Google to further develop the tech company’s autonomous systems. It makes sense for BMW to want to get in on that action, but specifically retooling the “i” division to work on self-driving cars is still a bit unexpected.

Read more: Study shows drivers aren’t ready for fully-autonomous cars

Since the i3 electric car and i8 plug-in hybrid were launched as 2014 and 2015 models, respectively, interest in luxury electric cars has increased. Other German carmakers are planning to finally compete directly with Tesla. Porsche will launch an all-electric sport sedan in 2020, while Audi will launch an electric SUV in 2018. Meanwhile, BMW still hasn’t confirmed plans for its next “i” model, meaning it probably won’t arrive until sometime after the competition.

BMW started the “i” division because it believed greener cars would be necessary to meet future consumer needs, but it may have a different business plan in mind now. Board member Froehlich told Reuters that autonomous cars could be used in conjunction with a ride-sharing service. Because they don’t need drivers, they could potentially undercut the costs of established services like Uber and Lyft.

Swarms of self-driving cars have been described as the transportation system of the future by many analysts, which may be why Uber already has a lab for developing autonomous vehicles. With its “i” division, BMW wanted to be a pioneer in electric cars, but fell behind. Unless it moves quickly, it risks the same outcome with this autonomous-car venture.

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Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

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Front three quarter view of the 2023 BMW i7.

The BMW 7 Series has been the venerable German automaker’s flagship for more than 40 years, but with its latest redesign, BMW is taking things in a new — and electrifying — direction.
The 2023 BMW i7 xDrive60 (or i7 for short) is the first all-electric 7 Series in the model’s history. It’s positioned against electric luxury sedans like the Lucid Air, Tesla Model S, and the Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan, a longtime BMW rival. But BMW took a different approach with its electric chariot of the affluent.
Because while those other EVs are based on clean-sheet designs, the i7 is just one version of a car that continues with combustion engines. It shares styling and tech — including an available fold-down, rear-seat widescreen monitor — with internal-combustion 7 Series models. So it offers a more traditional approach to luxury for EV buyers who don’t want to change anything about their cars except the method of propulsion.
Those buyers will also pay a slight premium. The i7 starts at $120,295, compared to $114,595 for the 760i xDrive, the first gasoline 7 Series model of the new generation. BMW also plans to offer a less expensive gasoline 740i for $94,295 sometime after launch. But when you’re spending this much on a new car, those aren’t huge differences.

Design and interior
The new 7 Series — and by extension the i7 — is sure to prove controversial due to BMW’s new front-end styling, which combines a massive grille sure to stoke internet memes and odd-looking two-tiered headlights. The effect is exaggerated by an available blacked-out front-end treatment, which makes it look like parts are missing.
Those styling elements carry over from gasoline 7 Series models to the i7, as does the hulk-like body shell, which is abnormally tall for a sedan, requiring steps at the hood and rear bumper to blend them with the thick center section of the body. The i7 also retains a long protruding hood, which is necessary to house the engine in gasoline 7 Series models, but is just an affectation here.
BMW claims the i7 will appeal to buyers who want a traditional luxury sedan first and an EV second. To be fair, the i7 is much more conventional-looking than the streamlined Mercedes-Benz EQS sedan and Lucid Air, or the grille-less Tesla Model S. But some of that work has been undone by BMW’s unorthodox design choices in other areas, which may not appeal to traditionalists either.
The i7 is sure to prove controversial due to BMW's new front-end styling.

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Ford and VW close down Argo AI autonomous car unit

An Argo AI autonomous car on the road.

Autonomous-car specialist Argo AI is closing down after Ford and Volkswagen, Argo's main backers, ended support for the Pittsburgh-based company.

First reported by TechCrunch and later confirmed by the two auto giants, some of the 2,000 workers at Argo will transfer to Ford and Volkswagen, while others without an offer will receive a severance package. Argo’s technology is also set to end up in the possession of the two companies, though at this stage it’s not clear how it might be shared.

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Tesla hopes full self-driving beta will be out globally by the end of 2022

Beta of Tesla's FSD in a car.

At the Tesla AI Day 2022 event, the electric car maker revealed some key statistics about the Full Self Driving (FSD) tech that is currently still in the beta testing phase. The company divulged that the number of FSD beta testers has gone up from 2,000 last year to roughly 1,60,000 users in 2022, despite a few regulatory hiccups and incidents that raised questions about its safety.

Tesla still hasn’t provided a timeline for when the FSD package will formally exit the beta phase, but it doesn’t seem too far off. In a TED interview this year, Musk claimed that the FSD system, which now costs $15,000, will most likely be out by the end of 2022 for all customers. There are also plans for a global rollout by the end of this year, pending regulatory approval, of course.