According to Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management at BMW, “several hundred advance orders have already been received for the BMW i3.”

The BMW i3 is the first vehicle in the new BMW i sub brand that is dedicated to green-mobility vehicles. Built with a unique aluminum chassis and carbon fiber body shell, the BMW i3 will weigh 250kg to 350kg less than a “conventional” electric vehicle. BMW re-confirmed that the electric range is somewhere around 93 miles.

BMW’s Maximilian Kellner, head of product manager for the BMW i division, dropped a tidbit that “the i3 has a range on a single electrical charge of 130 kilometers to 160 kilometers, but with two eco modes the EV range could grow to 220 kilometers. The BMW i3 will have an EcoPro and an EcoPro+ mode.

EcoPro drive mode reduces the torque and lowers energy consumption of the air conditioning and heating. This setting should add about 12 miles to the range.

EcoPro+ has the features of EcoPro more, plus shutting off all electric accessories except for essentials like ABS braking. Drivers should gain around 25 miles using this setting.

If that range still isn’t enough, the BMW i3 Rex option includes a 2.3 gallon gas tank and small motorcycle engine range extender that give the i3 a total range of around 200 miles.

Reithofer said the BMW i3 production line is currently active and has already produced its first pre-series i3 vehicles beginning in January 2013. He also re-iterated that the BMW i3 is on schedule and will be available “by the end of the year.” Some online sources are stating BMW i3 deliveries will begin November 16th, 2013 after launching at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.