Bmw I series

BMW announces new sub-brad ‘i’; BMW i3 electric and i8 hybrid cars to come soon

BMW has announced its electric and hybrid cars with the advent of a new sub-brand ‘i’ at its corporate headquarters in Munich, Germany. Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG for Sales and Marketing, is reported to have said, “BMW i offers visionary cars and services, inspiring design, and an entirely new concept of premium mobility – all with a focus on sustainability.”

The first two cars in the ‘i’ line-up will the BMW i3 and BMW i8. The i3 and i8 will be showcased at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show commencing March 3^rd, 2011. The first of the BMW i-series cars will be launched sometime in 2013.

The BMW i3 will be an electric car while the i8 will be a gasoline-electric hybrid car.

The i3 and i8 will be built on ‘LifeDrive’ architecture, which uses aluminium chassis housing the powermills and the Carbon Fibre-Reinforced Plastic (CFRP), a new construction concept that will nullify all the extra weight added by batteries, thereby making the i3 and i8 lightweight and capable of offering ‘superior driving dynamics’ as well as increased range per charge

BMW has officially confirmed the launch of the production version of the “Vision Efficient Dynamics” concept, which the company unveiled at the Frankfurt Motor Show 2009.

Klaus Draeger, BMW’s R&D chief said this car will crown BMW’s line up in terms of technology and will also enjoy a higher status than any other BMW car on offer today. However, Draeger admitted that production plans are in the early stages of development and the company is still sifting through engine options to put in a suitable hybrid powerplant that will suit all global markets of BMW.

BMW has carried out about 60,000 km of testing with the Vision Efficient Dynamics driveline. The production car would have a sophisticated and practical design as against the concept. Matching the M3’s performance, this upcoming hybrid BMW is expected to accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 4.8 seconds with top speed limited to 155 mph.

The first running prototype of Vision Efficient Dynamics’ concept combined diesel and electric power. The 1.5 litre, 3-cylinder common rail diesel engine produces 161 bhp. With the plug-in hybrid made up of lithium ion batteries pack, this car’s drivetrain produces 323 bhp (total) and runs up to 31 miles on battery power alone with zero pollution. The prototype has a driving range of 430 miles. The hybrid mechanism makes this BMW return a remarkable 75 mpg, while the car’s CO2 emission rating is as low as 99 g/km.

The cost of the BMW hybrid supercar would be about the cost of a Rolls Royce. BMW projects sales volumes of its cars would increase from 1.4 million to 2 million units in 10 years. BMW plans to invest $400 million to expand operations at the company’s Leipzig factory.

There is also speculation that the new BMW hybrid will get some fresh branding at the time of official launch. With carbon fiber technologies and latest safety aspects as in Formula 1, expect the BMW Hybrid in 2013. This is BMW’s answer to the Audi E-Tron, Porsche 918 RS Spyder and Mercedes-Benz SLS E-Drive.