BMW Goes Green with “i”

They’re coming..!

German manufacturer BMW will be bringing their electric and hybrid vehicles to market under the i-cars brand. I realize that “electric” and “BMW” just don’t seem to go together but… as the world turns…

The first model to arrive looks to be the i3, also referred to as the Megacity vehicle. To keep weight to an absolute minimum in the name of efficiency, construction will consist of an aluminum chassis and a passenger cell made of carbon fiber. This diminutive all-electric car should come to market sometime in 2013 as a 2014 model. Production estimates are currently set at 30,000 units per year.

Arriving shortly after the i3 will be a vehicle at the other end of the price and performance spectrum, the i8. Based on the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept vehicle, this buggy will be a high performance hybrid coupe. Power will come from electricity as well as what now appears to be a gasoline engine, originally thought to be a diesel unit. Final power and performance specifications have as yet to be released.

Camouflaged prototypes for both vehicles have been seen in testing recently. I will keep you posted as things progress for the “i”…