The company’s gasoline-powered vehicles have had names ending in “i” for decades.
The letter has now been moved to the beginning of the name to identify electric versions.
This means the current 760i xDrive would become the 760 xDrive and the electric i7 xDrive 60 would be the i760 xDrive.
Like many automakers, BMW will use the addition of new electric models to its lineup as a reason to change its naming convention.
According to an insider who talked to BimmerPost, the main change will be linked to the meaning of the letter “i” in the German automaker’s alphanumerical model names.
Introduced in the 1970s as a way to differentiate models powered by fuel-injected engines at a time when the majority of cars still featured a carburetor, this letter came to be applied to every BMW model equipped with a gasoline engine.
Now that fuel injection has been standard in every BMW (and almost every car) for many decades, the meaning of the “i” at the end of model names has lost most of its importance.
When the company introduced its first electric models close to 10 years ago, it chose to give the letter “i” a new meaning by placing it in front of the number (i3, i4, i5, i7 …).
2022 BMW X3
This could be a little confusing since the 760i xDrive is a gasoline-powered model while the i7 xDrive 60 is a fully electric version.
Now, the source says BMW will remove the “i” from the trunk lid of its gasoline-powered vehicles entirely, using it only for EVs.
At the same time, electric vehicles will see a slight change to their model designation, so instead of being known as the i7 xDrive 60 or the i4 eDrive35, these models will be called i760 xDrive and i435 eDrive.
The same will be applied to SUVs, which means models such as the X3 xDrive30i and the X5 xDrive40i will become the X3 30 xDrive and the X5 40 xDrive.
Sporty M models will also see a name change, becoming the X3 M50 xDrive instead of the X3 M, thus getting in line with the new electric models such as the i4 M50 xDrive.
Source: Drive
