BMW's latest 'i' Division project will feature a driverless car

Founded in 2011, BMW's 'i' Division was set up to design and manufacture lightweight electric vehicles. However, it's been revealed that its engineers are now shifting their attention to self-driving technology.

The inaugural i3 and i8 have both focused on advanced hybrid and pure-electric powertrains, along with lightweight carbon fibre construction, however neither model appears to have lived up to BMW's expectations in terms of sales volume. "It is now in ramp-up stage," said BMW's Development Chief, Klaus Froehlich. "We call it Project i Next."

The company unveiled its Vision Next 100 concept (pictured) earlier this year to celebrate its 100^th birthday. Executives later hinted at the 'i Next' project as an 'innovation driver' with autonomous capabilities and a 2021 launch target, taking advantage of lightweight design and electrified powertrain systems developed for the existing i-lineup.

With a comfortable five-year path toward a new flagship long-range EV, BMW has relaunched its 'i' Division to fast-track self-driving technology. The German automaker's latest hiring spree is looking for experts in machine learning and artificial intelligence.