End of the road for BMW i3, i8?

The head of BMW’s electric division has revealed the company is not set on its current green strategy, and may eventually cull the i3 and i8 from production.

Speaking with British publication Autocar during a recent media engagement, Robert Irlinger, boss of BMW i cars, said there wouldn’t necessarily be a direct replacement for either car as BMW tackles tightening global emission standards.

While BMW's electric focus is as strong as ever, the future role of the i3 and i8, specifically, is clouded.

“We're still deciding [about] the i8,” Irlinger declared. “We see a market for new kinds of sports cars. Whatever it’s called, or if it’s a new kind of sports car, is still in discussion.”

As for the i3 hatchback, Irlinger said it “would be decided by time” if the model remained a success.

Much has changed since BMW dipped its toe in the water with both the i3 and i8; namely, other manufacturers have gone onto actively pursue electric solutions, and market demands have shifted.

The i3, for example, was designed to pioneer BMW’s electric technology, while the i8 was showcased as an extravagant flagship offering electrified technologies in support of performance. Both have since been followed up by hybrid models across the BMW portfolio, and will soon be accompanied by regular electric models including a rumoured SUV some time in 2020.

“With new i3 and i8, I don’t know; for now, we don’t think about it. For i, there won’t always be an i3, then an i3 after – i is not a parallel universe of BMW,” BMW i design boss Domagoj Dukec said.

By 2025 BMW will offer 25 models with an electrified drive system – of which 12 will be pure-electric. The determining factor for each will be whether BMW wants to showcase that vehicle’s technology before adapting to its regular passenger range.

Moving forward, all BMWs will be underpinned by one of two platforms, the rear-drive CLAR architecture and the front-drive FAAR architecture. Each will be adaptable to standard internal combustion, plug-in hybrid applications where the axle not driven by the engine is electrified and fully electric drivetrains.

Central to BMW’s future electric plans is the recently revealed i Vision Concept, a sleek concept that previews a future electric sedan.