BMW's assault on the EV market is set to kick into high gear with the upcoming i4 and iX3. The i4 four-door sedan will take on the Tesla Model 3 directly, while the iX3 is the electric version of the brand's immensely popular X3 SUV. These two cars are just the start of BMW's greater goal to have 25 electrified cars globally by 2023, with about half of those being EVs.

What's been less certain, amid the disruptive coronavirus pandemic, is whether BMW would be able to meet its production targets with the i4 and iX3. Well, we're happy to report that the news is all good, with BMW CEO Oliver Zipse confirming production of the iX3 is to start this summer, just as other BMW executives asserted that the i4 is still set for a 2021 launch.

Zipse was speaking at the company's annual general meeting when he touched on the iX3's production plans. "We will begin producing the iX3 in China this summer and we will export it from there. Preparations are going according to plan - despite the uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic." The iX3, which was leaked last month, is expected to sell strongly and offers distinctive styling elements to distinguish it from the regular X3. The European WLTP cycle indicates that it'll offer a range of around 273 miles.

The more evocatively styled BMW i4, meanwhile, was confirmed to be on track in an interview with two BMW top dogs, Michael Schmidt and Markus Baumann, by Austria's Industrie Magazin. Baumann, Head of Test and Digital Commissioning, said: "We are very confident. At the moment, the project is completely in the green." The i4 will be built on the same production line as the 3 Series.

Considering the many delayed vehicle launches and canceled motor shows, news that the iX3 and i4 are on schedule is music to the ears of EV fans. The i4 is one of the most dramatic BMW sedan designs yet and, with its electric motor serving up over 500 horsepower, will be one of the quickest, too. It will offer a thoroughly futuristic interior if the i4 Concept is anything to go by, which has a massive curved digital display. If BMW can meet claims of a range of over 300 miles, it'll be a practical EV, too.

The next year or so will be an exciting time for the German marque, as for the first time, the niche i3 hatchback and i8 sports car won't be the only electrified stars in BMW's lineup.