BMW revamps R&D to focus on self-driving cars

Munich

BMW is overhauling its research and development activities to focus on self-driving cars, board member Klaus Froehlich said, a move which includes a revamp of its "i" sub-brand of carbon-fibre based electric vehicles.

The company is updating its zero-emission vehicles after a lacklustre response to its only fully battery-powered car, the i3, which recorded only 25,000 sales last year. By contrast, Tesla already has more than 370,000 orders for its Model 3.