November 25, 2025 - BMW Considers Reviving EREVs

This is the Telemetry Transportation Daily for November 25, 2025, and I'm Sam Abuelsamid, Vice President of Market Research for Telemetry.  

When BMW launched the i3 Rex back in 2013, it was just the second extended range electric vehicle or EREV produced following the Fisker Karma. EREVs differ from plug-in hybrids in that the torque output of the engine only drives a generator to charge the battery and has no direct path to drive the wheels. The vehicle is exclusively driven by the motors. PHEVs blend engine and electric motor torque to propel the vehicle.

The i3 was designed as an urban commuter car for megacities and had a modestly sized battery that delivered about 80 miles of driving range. The Rex variant added a small two-cylinder gas engine from a BMW scooter connected to a generator, along with a 2-gallon fuel tank to provide an emergency backup if the battery became depleted. The small fuel tank meant the range extender could only provide about 80 miles of added range, but that could be enough to get the car to a charger. Since the i3 was discontinued in 2022, BMW hasn't offered any additional EREVs, although that could change in the future. 

Most of BMW's EVs now offer at least 300 miles of driving range on a charge, and charging infrastructure is much more available than it was when the i3 came out. However, one area that still poses a problem for EVs is towing, which is why Ram is building its first electrified truck as an EREV. While towing isn't a major use case for most BMWs, some owners of SUVs like the X5 and X7 do occasionally tow trailers. Thus, in keeping with its broader multi-energy strategy, BMW is reportedly considering adding an EREV option to some future models. Since the current BMW EVs are built from flexible multi-energy platforms that support internal combustion, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid variants, there is packaging space in what would typically be the engine compartment for a range extender. 

EREVs are particularly popular in China, where BMW Group delivered nearly 30% of its sales in 2024. Thus, it would make sense for BMW to have some EREV offerings at least in the Chinese market and potentially in North America and Europe as well. BMW hasn't officially committed to new EREVs, but Telemetry forecasts nearly 10% of global sales will be EREVs by 2035. 

Thanks for listening.