BMW launches i sub-brand

BMW has launched a new sub-brand – BMW i – embracing two new models from 2013: the i3 and the i8.

The i3 has, up to now, been known as the Megacity, and the new branding confirms the signals that the Group has been sending out for the last six months. It will be BMW’s first series-produced car for urban areas to be driven by electric power alone. The Mini E test vehicle has already provided BMW with feedback on consumer acceptance of electric vehicles and the recently-announced ActiveE electric version of the 1 Series goes into field trials in Europe, the US and China later this year. Neither vehicle will go into volume production.

The BMW i8 is based on the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept study. Its plug-in hybrid drive blends the sporting ability of a high-performance machine with the fuel consumption and emissions of a small car.

LifeDrive architecture

Both the i3 and the i8 are based on BMW’s construction concept known as LifeDrive architecture. An aluminium chassis houses the powertrain, and the passenger cell consists of high-strength but extremely lightweight carbon fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP). Both cars have been designed specifically for their respective alternative drive systems. The Group used the innovative architecture and CFRP to cancel out practically all of the extra weight added by the batteries. The intention is to provide customers with superior driving dynamics combined with significantly increased range using electric power.

Project i

BMW says that the i brand is a far-reaching concept including vehicles and services developed since 2007 as part of project i, a BMW Group think tank exploring sustainable mobility solutions. It’s the BMW Group’s response to changing customer needs, including increasing demand for alternative drive trains, such as electric drive systems and hybrids. There is a widespread desire in megacities for solutions which intelligently combine the benefits of various mobility concepts in a single package.

The Group will begin offering car-independent premium mobility services. BMW i aims to provide customised mobility solutions across a seamless network of premium products and premium services. The focus is on solutions which will improve usage of existing parking spaces, as well as intelligent navigation systems with local information, intermodal route planning, and premium car-sharin