BMW i – noul sub-brand de maşini electrice BMW

The new BMW
sub-brand focused on developing sustainable mobility solutions has
been launched. „BMW i represents a new movement in premium
mobility. With the introduction of this new sub-brand, the BMW
Group reaffirms its leadership as the most innovative and
sustainable premium car company. The products and services have
been conceived around a revolutionary approach: purpose designed
and purpose built for sustainable, premium mobility. It’s a new day
in our industry; a new era for individual mobility. This is BMW i –
Born Electric.” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of
Management of BMW AG responsible for Sales and Marketing, in Munich
on Monday.

In a first move, two models will be launched under the new
sub-brand from 2013 – the BMW i3 and BMW i8. The BMW Group will
also significantly expand its range of mobility services over the
years ahead. To achieve this, a Venture Capital company was founded
in New York City, BMW i Ventures, with an investment totalling up
to 100 million US dollars.

„BMW i offers visionary cars and services, inspiring design, and
an entirely new concept of premium mobility – all with a focus on
sustainability”, explained Robertson. The BMW i brand comprises
vehicles and services developed since 2007 as part of project i, a
BMW Group think tank exploring sustainable mobility solutions. It
is 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.

Revolutionary vehicle concepts

„With BMW i, we are building on the success and strength of our
core brand,” emphasised Robertson. The BMW i3- previously known as
the Megacity Vehicle – will be the BMW Group’s first
series-produced car for urban areas to be driven by electric power
alone. The BMW i8, meanwhile, 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.

Both models are based on a revolutionary 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. We used the innovative architecture and
CFRP to cancel out practically all of the extra weight added by the
batteries. For our customers this means superior driving dynamics
combined with significantly increased range using electric power,”
explains Klaus Draeger, BMW Board member responsible for
development.

BMW i8 to be built in Leipzig

Like the BMW i3, the BMW i8 will also be manufactured at BMW’s
Leipzig plant. Around 400 million euros will be invested in new
plant facilities and some 800 jobs will be created up to 2013.
Development and production synergies will be achieved through both
vehicles using the same component sets for the electric motors,
power electronics, and high-voltage lithium-ion batteries.

A range of vehicle-independent services

An additional range of mobility services – which can also be
used independently of the cars – will be an integral component of
BMW i. This will allow the creation of a new, profitable area of
business over the long term and attract new customers to the
company’s brands.

„Mobility requirements are changing in rapidly expanding
megacities” adds Ian Robertson. „Our commitment to car-enabled
mobility services, like BMW ConnectedDrive, will be significantly
expanded under BMW i. We’ll also grow our car-related premium
mobility services. What’s truly groundbreaking is that we’ll begin
offering car-independent premium mobility services. BMW i aims to
provide customized 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-sharing.

In addition to services developed in-house, the BMW Group is
pursuing collaborations with partner companies and exploring
strategic capital investments in providers of mobility services. To
this end, the venture capital company BMW i Ventures has the goal
to expand the range of products and services offered by BMW i in
the long term by taking stakes in highly innovative service
providers.

New York-based My City Way is the first company in which BMW i
Ventures has taken a stake. Of the partnership, Ian Robertson said,
„I am thrilled to announce that we have just signed our first
strategic partnership with My City Way. As a mobile app, My City
Way provides users with information on public transportation,
parking availability, and local entertainment for over 40 cities in
the US. Another 40 cities will be part of the global rollout,
including Munich, of course

Data de 21 februarie 2011 poate fi considerată ziua de naştere a
noului sub-brand de maşini electrice BMW i. Primele două
modele care vor purta indicativul „i” vor fi BMW i3 şi BMW
i8.

BMW i3 nu este altceva decât maşina electrică de oraş,
cunoscută până acum sub indicativul
MegaCity Vehicle. Este vorba
de o maşină de dimensiuni reduse, având 2+2 locuri, caroseria fiind
construită din aluminiu, iar celula de rezistenţă pentru pasageri
din fibră de carbon.

Propulsia pentru BMW i3 va fi similară cu cea regăsită
pe recent lansatul
BMW ActiveE, fiind vorba de un motor electric
de 170 CP, bateriile litiu-ion urmând a asigura o autonomie de până
la 160 km. Însă inginerii lucrează intens şi la o versiune
„range-extender”, care va asigura o autonomie crescută.

BMW i8 va fi maşina de serie prefigurată de

BMW Vision EfficientDynamics, concept
prezentat la Salonul Auto
Frankfurt 2009. Vorbim de un supercar ecologic, care
va combina motorul electric de pe BMW i3 cu un motor termic de mare
performanţă, dar care urmează noua filosofie downsizing BMW –
acesta va avea o cilindree de numai 1,5 litri şi doar 3
cilindri.

Ambele modele vor fi construite în uzina de la
Leipzig, unde deja au fost investiţi 400 de milioane de
euro pentru o linie special dedicată. BMW i3 şi i8 vor beneficia,
de asemenea, de sisteme de comunicaţie dezvoltate în cooperare cu
firme cunoscute din domeniul coit şi comunicaţii.