The acronym BMW stands for Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH, which roughly translates to the Bavarian Engine Works Company. The name harks back to the company's origin in the German state of Bavaria. It also indicates BMW's original product range: engines for various applications.

BMW's current naming conventions have ten distinct groupings, six for cars and four for SUVs or EVs. Coupe styles have even numbers (2, 4, and 6 Series), while the sedans have odd numbers (3, 5, and 7 Series). 2 Series are smaller two-door models in a coupe or convertible style.

What do the Letters Mean Within BMW Models? The letter at the end of each vehicle's name represents the type of fuel used. An “i” signals a gas model, “d” for diesel vehicles, and “e” for plug-in hybrids. BMW's electric i Models have an “i” before the numbers in the vehicle name.

The last part of the model name includes a lowercase letter that stands for the drive technology. Gasoline-powered cars (injection vehicles) bear an i, and diesel engines have a d. An e in the model name means that it is a plug-in hybrid, as is the case with our BMW 745e PHEV (➜ Read more: All types of EVs).