BMW i3 Revealed

As well as the i8, BMW will launch the i3 in 2013 - an all electric BMW 1-Series sized car. Where the i8 is very low and wide, the i3 is a much more passenger-oriented car, opting for a taller, narrower body for greater practicality - its boot has a 200 litre capacity. 

The i3 will have an aluminium chassis with carbon fibre-reinforced plastic as its body shell, much like the i8. For such a small car it is relatively heavy at 1270kg, even with the weight saving body. It will be the smallest model that BMW make, even if you include the Mini, as it only measures 3845mm in length, 2011mm in length and 1537mm in width. 

A lithium ion battery will be mounted in the central section of the floor and liquid cooled, giving the car a lower centre of gravity than any other BMW model along with 'agile' handling at city speeds. The electric engine will be mounted over the rear wheels, powering them with a single speed transmission. The electric motor drives the wheels, while a small petrol engine will be packaged alongside it to power a generator that will maintain the charge in the batteries. 

Although clearly designed as a city car, the i3's performance is far from lethargic: 0-37mph in just 3.9 seconds, 0-62mph in a respectable 7.9 seconds. Clearly this is a car geared for the city though - its top speed is limited to just 93mph to protect the charge of the battery, despite boasting fairly promising acceleration below this speed.

The i3 does however take far longer to recharge its battery than the larger i8. A full charge will take 6 hours, although it is possible to charge the batteries to 80% in a one hour fast charge. Like the i8 the car does feature brake-energy harvesting technology quite heavily as well as a 'coast mode' which cuts the engine for certain periods of time.

The car's range also suits a city better than a long motorway haul: 80-100 miles is expected on most models, but later an REx model will be added that will use a longer range power-train.