BMW Chairman Promises A "Very Exciting Surprise" For Frankfurt

BMW Chairman Harald Krüger has used the company's second quarter conference call to announce the automaker will present a "very exciting surprise" at the Frankfurt Motor Show.

Krüger declined to elaborate but he made the remark will discussing electro-mobility and the iNext which will be built at the company's plant in Dingolfing, Germany. This seems to suggest the model will be an electric vehicle or a hybrid but nothing is official as of yet.

If the surprise is an eco-friendly vehicle, it could be the company's answer to the Tesla Model 3. Back in June, reports surfaced that BMW would use the Frankfurt Motor Show to introduce a 3-Series with an electric powertrain. The report suggested the vehicle would have a range of approximately 248 miles (400 km) which would eclipse the entry-level Model 3 which can travel 220 miles (354 km) on a single charge.

Of course, it's possible that Krüger could be talking about another model such as the performance-oriented i3 S or the X7 concept which is rumored to use a fuel cell powertrain.

Besides talking about the mystery model, Krüger confirmed "many customers have already reserved" the i8 Roadster. The executive also predicted the X3 EV will be a "hit" when it arrives in 2020.