BMW i5 will arrive at US dealers starting this month
The next-generation BMW 5 Series is entering market availability globally, including the new i5 EV. The US will see the i5 Sedan arrive for sale in just a matter of weeks, before October’s end. It’s unclear if the eDrive 40 and M60 xDrive will both be available at launch, but BMW’s release would seem to imply “yes.”
The first i5s rolled off the assembly line in Dingolfing, Germany, back in July, with the car curiously making its global market debut in Korea. Now, global availability is imminent, with Germany (October 21) and the US (October 28) being the next in line. Other markets will be waiting a month or so longer, with the larger worldwide launch starting on November 25. Models include the i5 eDrive 40 and the performance i5 M60 xDrive, which makes over 600 hp and reportedly can shuffle to 60 mph in 3.3 seconds.
While Electrek has yet to have a go in the all-new i5 (hi, BMW!), early drives of the car have been pretty positive overall. The new BMW OS 8.5 allegedly brings some usability and practicality improvements (e.g., easier access to climate controls with fewer taps), and more changes to the operating system will be coming over the air to owners down the line.
The new 5 Series Touring (wagon, estate — choose your regional vocab) will launch in spring 2024 in ICE and electrified trims, though it sounds like there will be no US launch. BMW says the 5 Series Touring will be available in Europe, Taiwan, and Japan.
BMW has chosen a philosophy of platform marriage for its current crop of “next-generation” vehicles, meaning the ICE and BEV 5 Series largely look and feel quite similar — but they use totally different drivetrains. Some customers enjoy knowing that their electrified vehicle features a distinct design language and bespoke platform. Still, there are likely many who would like a “normal car” that just so happens to be electrified. Now, this all gets rather philosophical kind of quickly when you ask which version of the car is primarily driving platform and technology decisions, and if the designer would have made an EV from the ground up that looks basically like the “shared” car anyway. But for BMW’s electric portfolio, I think the visual reaction boils down to “kidney grilles, why?” (Because that’s My Brand, presumably.)
Pricing for the eDrive 40 will start at a hair under $68,000 in the US with delivery, and the performance M40 xDrive will be closer to $85,000. That, of course, doesn’t include any options. A fully loaded M40 xDrive (big wheels, leather interior, wood trim, executive package) tops out at $97,395 delivered. Both cars look well-equipped in standard trim, however, so loading them up is by no means necessary.
Full press release here.
Electrek’s Take
Like the Mercedes EQE, Model S, and Lucid Air, the BMW i5 slots into the new(-ish) “big mid-size sedan” market — it’s actually within an inch of the Tesla for total length, though about an inch-and-a-half longer by wheelbase. With a starting price of around $68,000, it does slightly undercut Tesla, but for a car that’s much slower and lower on range.
But the population of buyers cross-shopping an i5 and Model S is probably pretty small — BMW is a brand that commands loyalty, with its driver-focused reputation and very visible “yes, I am driving a BMW” visual branding. (See: Kidney grilles on an electric car.)
It will be interesting to see how sales go for BMW in an increasingly crossover-crazy luxury vehicle space – there’s no doubt the 5 Series is part of the shrinking pie that is the sedan market (especially in America). But it’s also a legendary nameplate, and one that buyers often repeatedly return to over the course of multiple generations. It’s hard to say that about a Mercedes E-Class.
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The Dodge Charger Daytona EV made headlines when it rolled out fake engine noises as a way to make the EV appeal to muscle car drivers. As it turns out, they weren’t the right sort of fake engine noises – and now Stellantis has to recall 8,000 of them for a fix.
According to the ChryCo fans at Mopar Insider, Stellantis is recalling ~8,390 examples of its 2024 to 2025 Dodge Charger Daytona EVs because of an exterior amplifier that may be missing critical enabling the amp to emit exterior sounds – including the Federally mandated pedestrian warning sounds designed to keep pedestrians safe.
What’s more, the recall’s “suspect period” reportedly begins on 30APR2024, when the first 2024 Dodge Charger Daytona was produced, and ends 18MAR2025 … when the last Charger EV was produced.
RECALL CHRONOLOGY
- On April 17, 2025, the FCA US LLC (“FCA US”) Technical Safety and Regulatory Compliance (“TSRC”) organization opened an investigation into certain 2024–2025 model year Dodge Charger vehicles that may not emit exterior sound.
- From April 17, 2025, through May 13, 2025, FCA US TSRC met with FCA US Engineering and the supplier to understand all potential failure modes associated with the issue. They also reviewed warranty data, field records, and customer assistance records to determine field occurrences.
- On May 14, 2025, the FCA US TSRC organization determined that a vehicle build issue existed on certain vehicles related to a lack of EV exterior sound, potentially resulting in noncompliance with FMVSS No. 141.
Without the software patch, the vehicles don’t comply with the requirements of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) No. 141, “Minimum Sound Requirements for Hybrid and Electric Vehicles.” The rule requires noisemakers for EVs and hybrids when operating under 19 mph, the safest speeds for pedestrians.
Basically, if you have a Dodge Charger EV, expect to get a recall notice.
It just keeps getting funnier
If you’re not familiar with the Charger Daytona EV’s “Fratzonic Chambered Exhaust,” it’s a system that employs a combination of digital sound synthesis and a physical tuning chamber (translation: a speaker) to produce a 126 decibel sound that approximately imitates a Hellcat Hemi V8 ICE. That’s loud enough to cause most people physical pain, according to Yale University – putting it somewhere between a loud rock concert and a passenger jet at takeoff.
While you could argue that such noises are part and parcel with powerful combustion, they’re completely irrelevant to an EV, and speak to a particular sort of infantile delusion of masculinity that I, frankly, have never been able to wrap my head around. Something akin to the, “Hey, look at me! I’m a big tough guy!” attention-whoring of a suburban Harley rider in a “Sons of Anarchy” novelty cut, without even enough courage to ride a motorcycle, you know?
You know – and I bet you can help me dial in the the comparison to perfection (and help me explain why the car just isn’t selling) in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
SOURCE: Mopar Insiders; featured image by Stellantis.
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Is it an electric van or a truck? The Kia PV5 might be in a class of its own. Kia’s electric van was recently spotted charging in public with an open bed, and it looks like a real truck.
Kia’s electric van morphs into a truck with an open bed
The PV5 is the first of a series of electric vans as part of Kia’s new Platform Beyond Vehicle business (PBV). Kia claims the PBVs are more than vans, they are “total mobility solutions,” equipped with Hyundai’s advanced software.
Based on the flexible new EV platform, E-GMP.S, Kia has several new variants in the pipeline, including camper vans, refrigerated trucks, luxury “Prime” models for passenger use, and an open bed model.
Kia launched the PV5 Passenger and Cargo in the UK earlier this year for business and personal use. We knew more were coming, but now we are getting a look at a new variant in public.
Although we got a brief glimpse of it earlier this month driving by in Korea, Kia’s electric van was spotted charging in public with an open bed.
The folks at HealerTV found the PV5 variant with an open bed parked in Korea, offering us a good look from all angles.
From the front, it resembles the Passenger and Cargo variants, featuring slim vertical LED headlights. However, from the side, it’s an entirely different vehicle. The truck sits low to the ground, similar to the one captured driving earlier this month.
When you look at it from the back, you can’t even tell it’s the PV5. It looks like any other cargo truck with an open bed.
The PV5 open bed measures 5,000 mm in length, 1,900 mm in width, and 2,000 mm in height, with a wheelbase of 3,000 mm. Although Kia has yet to say how big the bed will be, the reporter mentions it doesn’t look that deep, but it’s wide enough to carry a good load.
The open bed will be one of several PV5 variants that Kia plans to launch in Europe and Korea later this year, alongside the Passenger, Cargo, and Chassis Cab configurations.
In Europe, the PV5 Passenger is available with two battery pack options: 51.5 kWh or 71.2 kWh, providing WLTP ranges of 179 miles and 249 miles, respectively. The Cargo variant is rated with a WLTP range of 181 miles or 247 miles.
Kia will reveal battery specs closer to launch for the open bed variant, but claims it “has the longest driving range among compact commercial EVs in its class.”
In 2027, Kia will launch the larger PV7, followed by an even bigger PV9 in 2029. There’s also a smaller PV1 in the works, which is expected to arrive sometime next year or in 2027.
What do you think of Kia’s electric van? Will it be a game changer? With plenty of variants on the way, it has a good chance. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
Source: HealerTV
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