We can all agree that the i branch of BMW is off to a great start, with both its small i3 city car and the hybrid i8 sports car exceeding even the most optimistic expectations.

They also plan to expand and add variety to the green Bimmers, and there are high hopes for the new models to take their place next to the i3 and i8.

BMW plans to reach a production volume of 100.000 units each year, and while they might still sell well, the main reason behind this volume is another. As you might have heard, CO2 emission laws will become stricter come 2020, and each company has to average a certain value across its vehicle range.

The 100.000 i cars a year seems to be the minimum for BMW to comply with the new regulation without having to drastically modify the rest of the range. It’s quite a shame really, having to increase production not because of demand (which is still quite high) but rather because of laws.

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Marcus M.

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The second and most powerful model within the i range arrived at the Frankfurt Motor Show with new details regarding production and dates. Of course, we talk about the new BMW i8 hybrid sports car, a model which is able to return impressive fuel economy figures together with good performance, almost the perfect recipe I would say.

The most important information from Frankfurt is that the new BMW i8 will enter the series production in 2013. In terms of powertrain, the German hybrid model packs a 1.5-liter three-cylinder petrol engine but also an electric motors placed in the front.

The clever hybrid powertrain uses a dual clutch transmission for the petrol engine, a unit which will channel the power to the rear wheels while the twin-speed transmission connects the electric motor to the front axle. The fuel consumption is rated at only 2,7 liters/km while the total output at 349 horsepower and 550 Nm of torque.

With such resources, the new BMW i8 accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 4,6 seconds and achieves a top speed of 250 km/h. Of course, the price could be the only setback of this innovative model, current rumors announcing a price tag of over $150,000.

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Marcus M.

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As you probably know, the Bavarians from BMW already revealed the new i3 and i8 models at a press conference held few days ago. For now, they presented just the concept version of the models in question but in fact they are pre-production vehicles which will suffer only minor modifications as mass production models. The fully electric BMW i3 is scheduled to hit the dealerships in 2013 while the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 sports car will be available later that year or starting 2014.

Today, we will discuss on all the important information we got from BMW since now while in the end of the article we will watch some videos where the Germans both presented and explained the first two models bearing the new i badge.

BMW i3 is an urban model designed powered by an electric motor mounted on the rear axle able to deliver 170 horsepower and 250 Nm of torque. The acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in done is around 8 seconds while the model achieves a top speed of 150 km/h.

Even the model is currently the smallest one in the new i range, it offers a boot capacity of 200 liters and enough space inside for four passengers.

The fully electric i3 can be 100% charged in six hours while using a quick charger it will take just one hour for 80%. The model can run fully electric for 160 kilometers but if you think that this is not enough for you, there is a range extender as optional which will significantly increase the range.

On the other hand, the plug-in hybrid BMW i8 is a more powerful model which enters the sports car segment delivering good performance and impressive fuel efficiency. It comes with a 1.5-liter gasoline engine producing 220 horsepower and 300 Nm of torque alongside a revised version of the electric motor of the i3 for a total output of 349 horses and 550 Nm of torque.

BMW i8 can run fully electric for 32 kilometers while using the hybrid powertrain will significantly increase the driving range. The acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h is possible in less than 5 seconds while it achieves a top speed of 250 km/h. Find more about the first two i models from the videos below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-4THnOdk3I

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Marcus M.

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The post VIDEO: BMW reveals the new i3 and i8 Concepts in depth appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

The Bavarians from BMW recently announced that the first to models within the new i range will be previewed soon within a press conference scheduled for this Friday, on July 29th, 2011 to be more precise. The Germans considered that this is all we have to know for now about this event, therefore no additional details on what we will see there are available for now. However, they released the satellite details along the schedule of this conference, information which will be posted at the end of this article.

Until then, I think we shall recap what we already know about the new BMW sub-brand, the special range for electric vehicles created by the Munich-based manufacturer.

As you probably know, BMW plans to unveil the new i range and display the first to models in world premiere at the Frankfurt Auto Show this fall but until then, they decided to preview them at the press conference tomorrow. The first model to debut is the new BMW i3, a vehicle with zero emissions scheduled to enter the market somewhere in 2013. The new i3 is a fully electric small city car, a perfect and eco-friendly alternative for the crowded cities.

The model uses carbon fibre-reinforced plastic for passenger cell along a lightweight aluminum chassis in order to keep the total mass as low as possible and of course, boost the performance. On the other hand, the new BMW i8 is a plug-in hybrid supercar better known as the Vision EfficientDynamics concept.

BMW i8 will keep almost all the design elements found on the concept unveiled in 2009 at Frankfurt but will use a hybrid setup with electric motors and a petrol unit.

The main reason behind BMW’s decision to use a petrol unit instead of a more efficient diesel engine came as the Germans want the new i8 to be a global model and the petrol engine fits better this requirement. Stay in touch with our blog for more details and hopefully some live photos from the press conference!

Technical data TV satellite transmission 29.07.2011

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Marcus M.

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The post BMW to reveal the i range this Friday at a press conference appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

It seems that the Germans from BMW are planning to reveal the first two models of the new i sub-brand ahead the Frankfurt Auto Show which starts in September this year. First time when we came in contact with the new fully electric BMW i3 happened few months ago when the spy photographers caught the new electric model from BMW being tested in some frozen lands, most probably in Sweden. Lately, we got some information that the new i3 will come with a starting price of $35,000 while the availability is set for 2013.

The new BMW i8 is a hybrid supercar based on the Vision EfficientDynamics concept, a large number of features adopted by the concept version following to be found on the production model.

Under the bonnet, the 2013 BMW i3 most likely packs an electric motor able to deliver around 135 horsepower, power which will be sent to the rear wheels. The fully electric Bavarian model will benefit from a set of lithium-ion batteries able to deliver a driving range of around 250 kilometers while the top speed is rumored to reach 160 km/h.

From the first details, the new i8 would adopt a hybrid powertrain which consists of an electric motor offering 162 horsepower and a 1.5-liter turbo diesel engine producing around 160 horses. However, according to some statements of BMW’s development department chief, Klaus Draeger, the new BMW i8 would adopt a petrol propeller instead the diesel unit, the main argument being that the new hybrid supercar wants to be a global model, a petrol engine being the best choice.

All these details will be discussed later next month when the Germans from BMW are planning to introduce the electric i3 and i8 hybrid, just few weeks ahead of the Frankfurt Auto Show. To be more precise, the first two models bearing the i badge follow to be revealed at a press conference which will be held in Germany in late July.

“Members of the board and chief of design Adrian Van Hooydonk will give a talk on the future of the BMW i sub-brand and what that means in terms of design and drivetrain technology for the coming years. We will get our first look at production versions of the i3 and i8,” said BMW Group Australia head of corporate communications Piers Scott.

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Marcus M.

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The post The new BMW i3 and i8 to be revealed ahead of Frankfurt Auto Show appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

It seems that new details regarding the BMW i3, more or less official, are emerging as the debut date approaches. The BMW i3 is part of the new i sub-brand, a range of electric models that will bear BMW’s badge, the first models being scheduled to debut starting 2013.

More exactly, we talk about the BMW i3, a three-door fully electric model that fits best the crowded cities, its small dimensions consisting an advantage in this regard. The 2013 BMW i3 features a new drivetrain with an electric engine able to produce 134 horsepower, power which will be sent to the rear wheels. A hybrid version of the model might enter the range later.

On the other hand, the second model from the new i range is BMW i8, a vehicle based on the well-known Vision EfficientDynamics concept. If i3 wants to be a small and practical zero-emission vehicle, i8 inherits the supercar characteristics of the concept and therefore, is not anymore a fully electric vehicle.

We actually discussed about the powertrain which follows to be available under the bonnet of the new i8, a hybrid aggregate consisting of an electric and a petrol unit being most likely to be seen. If we shortly reviewed all the important details we already knew about BMW’s i range, let’s switch to the new information which concerns the i3.

The Bavarian zero-emission model features a set of lithium-ion batteries that is rumored to provide a driving range of around 257 kilometers and provide a top speed of 160 km/h. Moreover, some unofficial sources claim that the i3 will come with a luggage space of around 400 liters (14.1 cubic feet), which is quite a lot considering the dimensions and that we talk about a four-seater.

A lightweight structure will be used in the manufacturing process while BMW plans to produce around 40,000 units each year at the Leipzig plant where the new i8 will be manufactured too. If all these assumptions prove to be true, the new i3 can be characterized as an innovative eco-friendly model with enough power under the bonnet and a satisfying driving range.

According to the details above, the luggage space seems to be another key feature of the model even if you won’t bet on this at the first glance. The starting price is rumored to spin around $35,000 but is still quite prematurely to know the exact pricing and availability.

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Marcus M.

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The post The new BMW i3 rumored to start at a price of $35,000 appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

If Frank Weber sounds not very common to you, maybe Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid is the keyword. Frank Weber was the lead engineer of the Americans from General Motors. He took care of the development process for the well-known Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid.

Earlier this month, General Motors announced that Weber quitted the company as he received few proposals from another big manufacturer. At that time, there weren’t any details but today BMW confirms that Frank Weber will join the team and will take care of the i range.

For the beginning, the former GM engineer will supervise the development of i3 and i8, the first electric models from the range scheduled to debut. Due to its vast experience, among others, Weber will be responsible of the EfficientDynamics program as well as driver safety and assist systems.

For now, we don’t know for sure when Frank Weber will start the work at BMW as there are still some details to set up between the Bavarians and the Germans from Opel.

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Marcus M.

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The post Frank Weber to take care about the i range from now appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

BMW released further details on the new models within the i range, a press release issued today telling us that the models would get an additional internal combustion engine. These statements were also made at the Innovation Day held in Munich, today.

The additional internal combustion engines that follows to fit the i models will play the role to provide an extended driving range, the first models to benefit from this feature following to be the i3 and i8.

These statements have been made within the event held in Germany by a BMW official, namely Dr. Christian Schmidt, head of the electric department. Moreover, Schmidt stated that a variety of powertrains will be available for the i range, even if we talk about the plug-in hybrid supercar based on the Vision EfficientDynamics, known as i8 or the electric i3.

We all know that the main problem of the eco-friendly vehicles even if we talk about full EV or plug-in hybrids is the driving range, using an internal combustion engine to get extended autonomy being a clever decision indeed.

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Marcus M.

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The post BMW to use internal combustion engines for extended driving range for the i models appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to see the new BMW i3 for the first time while the Bavarians were testing the electric model and also filming for something that most probably will be a video teaser coming up soon.

The spy photos of the new i3 from yesterday are without doubt more important than the current spy shots as we largely know how the new i8 looks from the Vision EfficientDynamics concept. Even so, we couldn’t ignore the second eco-friendly member of the new i family.

From the first details, the new hybrid will pack a 1.5-liter diesel unit developing 164 horsepower together with an electric engine offering about 33 horses. However, the situation regarding the engines that will be found under the bonnet is not very clear. According to Klaus Draeger, the 164-horsepower diesel is very likely to be replaced with a four-cylinder petrol engine.

So, we can’t tell you for now the engine options that will be available for the new BMW i8 but we assure you that you will be the first to know when official details in this regard will be available.

Spy Shots: CarPix via Autoblog

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Marcus M.

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The post Spy Photos: BMW running some tests with the new i8 appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.

As the Germans recently promised, we have some official details regarding the new electric range developed by BMW, information released today, as we expected.

Somewhere in 2013 the first model bearing the i badge, namely i3, will be revealed in a production-ready version. For now we know that the new BMW i3 will be a three-door vehicle with a lightweight aluminum structure. Together with the new electric model, another i model will enter the market around the same date.

We talk about the BMW i8, a model which is inspired by the Vision EfficientDynamics, as we set few months ago when the German supercar was tested in Abu Dhabi. The new electric i range will bear the “Born electric” slogan and the Germans will attack the same premium segment but this time in the electric models area. The Germans will start the production of the i3 and i8, the first models to debut, at the plant in Leipzig. More details and videos coming soon!

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Marcus M.

http://www.bmwcoop.com

The post Official details about BMW’s new i electric sub-brand available now appeared first on BMWCoop | BMW Blog, BMW News, BMW Reviews.