BMW will debut the production version of its first electric vehicle, the i3 coupe, at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
“We will break new ground in 2013 by putting electric cars into series production. Already, the first pre-production BMW i3s rolled off the assembly line in Leipzig in January,” said CEO Norbert Reithofer at the company’s annual press conference. “This is a clear signal to anyone who still may have had any doubts. The BMW i3 is definitely coming onto the market. It will be a reality by late 2013.”
Reithofer says BMW has received “several hundred advance orders” for the i3.
With its funky “stream flow” styling, the i3 has more in common with the gasoline powered Nissan Juke than Mitsubishi’s i-MiEV electric car.
And much like the Chevrolet Volt, i3 will use a small gasoline engine to extend its range when the lithium-ion batteries are depleted. An optional two-cylinder motorcycle engine mounted in the trunk will not be connected to the drivetrain but will power a generator that feeds juice to the battery pack. This will extend the EV’s range by about 130 km before the small gas tank is empty.
Even without the optional range extender the i3 driver will have ways of milking more kilometres from the new EV, whose price was not announced.
“The i3 has a range on a single electrical charge of 130 to 160 km, but with two eco modes the EV range could grow to 220 km,” said Maximilian Kellner, BMW’s head of product management for i division.
By reducing torque from the 170-hp electric motor and energy use by the HVAC system, EcoPro mode can add 20 km to the i3’s range. In EcoPro+ mode, electrical use is shut down in all systems except safety features such as anti-lock brakes and electronic stability control, thus adding a further 40 km to the i3’s range.