BMW has just launched its all new BMW i3, a small electric car specifically designed to solve urban congestion problems in cities such as New York, Sao Paulo, and London.
The car will be available in the European market this November, while Americans will have to wait until mid 2014 to get their hands on one.
Uniquely made with carbon fiber and other recyclable materials, the i3 serves as an excellent example for other ‘green’ vehicles and is part of a new era of sustainable mobility.
BMW Chairman Norbert Reithoffer, said:
“The car industry has waited well over a century for its own revolution. Today the wait is over. What the mobile phone did for communication, electric mobility will do for individual mobility.”
The i3, which is the first vehicle to be released under BMW’s sub-brand “iBMW”, will have a retail price of $41,350.
It comes with a 450-pound, 22-kWh lithium-ion battery which can travel up to 100 miles in just one charge.
The car has a top speed of 93 miles per hour and a 0-60 mph time of 7.0 seconds.
It will also be available with a small gasoline-powered generator that can double the distance the car can travel.
According to BMW, “the BMW i3 opens a new chapter of a visionary design language for BMW tailor-made for electric vehicles.”
This marks a huge step forward in the company’s vision and highlights its focus on creating vehicles that are environmentally friendly and practical at the same time.
Will the i3 be a success? Or will its high retail price put off a huge percent of the market.
Whether or not the car sells well, these innovative developments show promise that the future will provide us with sustainable mobility.