Car brand BMW will present two sustainable concept cars under their new BMW i sub-brand at the Frankfurt Motor Show later this month.
The BMW Concept i3 is the first premium electric plug-in city car, while the i8 Concept is a hybrid plug-in and combustion engine sports car.
i3 and i8 production models will be available from 2013.
Past BMW concept cars include the textile covered, shape-shifting GINA and Vision EfficientDynamics.
We filmed an interview with BMW designer Nader Faghihzadeh earlier this year - watch it on Dezeen Screen.
The Frankfurt Motor Show takes place 15-25 September.
Here's some text from BMW:
BMW at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA)
The mobility of the future requires a new balance between global requirements and the needs of the individual. Solutions are needed to provide individual but above all, sustainable mobility. The BMW Group recognised this need and now presents vehicles under the sub-brand BMW i which open new avenues, specifically responding to changing customer needs and combining inspiring design and a new perception of the term premium, strongly characterised by sustainability. BMW i takes a holistic, all-encompassing approach: with its customised vehicle concepts, sustainability defining the entire the value chain and supplementary mobility services, BMW i is rewriting the concept of individual mobility.
Two remarkable vehicle concepts.
The BMW i sub-brand presents two special concept vehicles at the Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA): the BMW i3 Concept and the BMW i8 Concept. They demonstrate how the future of sustainable and yet dynamic mobility might look. While the BMW i3 Concept is purely electrically powered and thus optimally equipped for the city, the plug-in hybrid model BMW i8 Concept combines the strengths of both an electric motor and an internal combustion engine, delivering a high level of dynamic performance.
The BMW i3 Concept, which was dubbed the Megacity Vehicle during the development stage, precisely defines as the first purely electrically powered BMW Group production car the future challenges of mobility in urban environments. And as the first premium electric vehicle it interprets the pioneering attributes typical of the BMW brand. With four seats, doors which open wide from the middle of the vehicle, a luggage capacity of around
200 litres and an additional compartment, the BMW i3 Concept has proven to be ideal for everyday use.
Configured as a 2+2 seater, the BMW i8 Concept presents itself as a sports car of the latest generation: progressive, intelligent and innovative. Its unique plug-in hybrid design combines an internal combustion engine and an electric drive, resulting in an exceptional driving experience – with extremely low fuel consumption and emissions.
