BMW Electric Vehicles
BMW entered the electric vehicle fray with the Mini E electric vehicle when it was first introduced at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show. U.S. trials of the vehicle first launched in June 2009. BMW used the Mini E to test the market with its electric powertrain technology.
BMW introduced the BMW ActiveE at the North American Auto Show in Detroit in January of 2010. Field testing began in January 2012, after the Mini E trial had officially ended. A total of 1100 ActiveE vehicles will participate worldwide. By this time, BMW was dubbing the program as testing for BMW’s Project i.
The third and final phase of Project i is the development of the urban electric vehicle, the BMW i3. BMW plans to mass produce it in 2013.
BMW EV Forums
BMW i3
The BMW i3 is an urban electric car under development by BMW. It features a carbon fiber reinforced plastic body placed on top of a metal platform that contains all the batteries and drive components. The body is being built in Washington State and then being shipped to Germany for final assembly. The i3 electric vehicle is part of BMW’s Project i and is expected to go into mass production in 2013. Initial market launch in the US includes Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego and New York City plus the suburban areas of New Jersey and Connecticut.
BMW i8
The BMW i8 is the second vehicle in the BMW i brand, following the BMW i3 electric vehicle. Unlike the i3, the i8 is a full plug-in hybrid electric vehicle with an electric motor powering the front wheels and a gasoline engine powering the rear wheels making this Supercar AWD. Combined power is around 350 hp, and because of the 2 motor system and battery pack locations, weight distribution in the BMW i8 is a perfect 50/50.