BMW plans to create a sub-brand by the name of Megacity which will comprise of battery driven vehicles that are to be used in an urban environment. But for now, there’s nothing more than artist’s impression of the baby BMW to satiate ourselves with.
To be formally out in 2013, the BMW i10 is more commonly referred to as the i1 perhaps because it draws its inspirations from the 1-series though it can just as well be passed off as a mini X6. The car will be roughly the same size as the VW Golf and will have enough space to seat five adults. But the thing that makes this rear wheel drive car unique is that it will be an all electric vehicle. Apart from that, the car has been designed to slip through the air and will be extremely light, besides also incorporating all the latest technologies.
BMW hasn’t yet let out anything about the drivetrain though experts opine it might be a derivative of the Concept ActiveE that was unveiled at the 2010 Detroit Motor Show or at least will be linked to it. So what the car might have is a motor mated to the real axle with a lithium ion battery at the center tunnel.
Meanwhile, BMW has said it plans to open a plant in Moses Lake, Washington that will be manned by 80 employees. The plant is also where much of the development work on the i1 is going to take place. And with BMW being the official provider of transportation for the 2012 London Olympics, its likely prototypes of the i1 to ferry around athletes and officials throughout the Olympic village.
Source: 4wheelsnews
