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Automotive Technology
GREEN: BMW Adds Sustainability Sub-Brand
Electric city vehicle and plug-in hybrid performance car planned by new BMW i division.
Klaus Draeger, BMW Board member responsible for development, explains the concepts behind the new sub-brand at a Munich press conference. (Photo: BMW)
BMW today launched a sub-brand focused on developing sustainable mobility solutions.
The new sub-brand, BMW i, will design and build electric, hybrid and alternative-fueled vehicles, the company said. Two models will be launched under the new sub-brand starting in 2013 – the BMW i3 and BMW i8.
The BMW i3, known previously as the Megacity Vehicle, will be the BMW Group's first all-electric series model for urban environments. The BMW i8, based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study, will be fitted with a plug-in hybrid drive to combine the driving characteristics of a high-performance sports car with the consumption and emission levels of a small car.
“BMW i represents a new movement in premium mobility,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “The products and services have been conceived around a revolutionary approach: purpose designed and purpose built for sustainable, premium mobility. It’s a new day in our industry; a new era for individual mobility. This is BMW i – Born Electric.”
Both models are based on a revolutionary construction concept known as LifeDrive architecture, said Klaus Draeger, BMW Board member responsible for development. An aluminum chassis houses the powertrain, and the passenger cell consists of high-strength but extremely lightweight carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic.
“Both cars have been designed specifically for their respective alternative-drive systems,” Draeger said. “We used the innovative architecture and CFRP to cancel out practically all of the extra weight added by the batteries. For our customers, this means superior driving dynamics combined with significantly increased range using electric power.”
The BMW i3 and i8 will also be manufactured at BMW’s Leipzig plant with both vehicles using the same component sets for the electric motors, power electronics and high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.
Around $545 million will be invested by BMW in new plant facilities and about 800 jobs will be created up to 2013, the company said.
The new sub-brand, BMW i, will design and build electric, hybrid and alternative-fueled vehicles, the company said. Two models will be launched under the new sub-brand starting in 2013 – the BMW i3 and BMW i8.
The BMW i3, known previously as the Megacity Vehicle, will be the BMW Group's first all-electric series model for urban environments. The BMW i8, based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study, will be fitted with a plug-in hybrid drive to combine the driving characteristics of a high-performance sports car with the consumption and emission levels of a small car.
“BMW i represents a new movement in premium mobility,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG. “The products and services have been conceived around a revolutionary approach: purpose designed and purpose built for sustainable, premium mobility. It’s a new day in our industry; a new era for individual mobility. This is BMW i – Born Electric.”
Both models are based on a revolutionary construction concept known as LifeDrive architecture, said Klaus Draeger, BMW Board member responsible for development. An aluminum chassis houses the powertrain, and the passenger cell consists of high-strength but extremely lightweight carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic.
“Both cars have been designed specifically for their respective alternative-drive systems,” Draeger said. “We used the innovative architecture and CFRP to cancel out practically all of the extra weight added by the batteries. For our customers, this means superior driving dynamics combined with significantly increased range using electric power.”
The BMW i3 and i8 will also be manufactured at BMW’s Leipzig plant with both vehicles using the same component sets for the electric motors, power electronics and high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.
Around $545 million will be invested by BMW in new plant facilities and about 800 jobs will be created up to 2013, the company said.
Toyota FT-86 Open Concept
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