It’s obviously the day for eco-luxury cars; in Rolls Royce‘s tire tracks comes BMW i, a new sub-brand by the German car manufacturer (which, of course, actually owns the RR marque) with a pair of concept cars and the promise of “sustainable, premium mobility.” The BMW i3 and i8 may sound like Intel processors, but they’re actually expected to launch in 2013.
The i3 is an all-electric vehicle intended for urban use, constructed largely from Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP), and using decelerative torque to recharge the battery on braking. The motor itself is the size of two drinks crates, half the size of a traditional gas engine (though that doesn’t include the batteries).
As for the BMW i8, that’s a plug-in hybrid for boosted range, and uses the same CFRP materials to keep weight down. Each will be stuffed full of electronic gizmos and quite probably look a whole lot less slinky by the time they reach the road.