The research and development of the two models started in 2007. The models use carbon fiber in their bodies as the material is stronger and lighter than metal. BMW's use of carbon fiber for car bodies is ahead of other auto manufacturers and leads the trend of future auto production.
Carbon fiber has mainly been used in the aviation industry in the past, as it is 50 percent lighter than steel and 30 percent lighter than aluminum.
As the only automaker who can produce carbon fiber on a large scale at present, BMW has a great advantage over its rivals in designing a lighter car.
The BMW i8 and i3 broke the 130-year routine of building cars from metal such as steel and aluminum, and showed the industry a new concept of designing cars constructed of carbon fiber.
Thanks to the superior functions of carbon fiber, the all-electric model i3 weighs only 1.3 metric tons, and can go from zero to 60 km/h in only 3.7 seconds. Moreover, it can cover up to 160 km on a full charge, which fulfills the basic needs of driving in the city and BMW brand's typical driving pleasure.
The plug-in hybrid i8 combines the power of a turbo engine with the efficiency of an electric motor. It only takes 4.4 seconds to go from zero to 100 km/h and its average fuel consumption is 2.1 liters per 100 km.
These functions make the i8 a combination of energy efficiency and driving pleasure, which is the ideal future of new-energy cars.
The BMW i sold 17,800 units worldwide in the last half of 2014, and its supply fell short of demand. China was one of the first countries to launch the BMW i. The cars are available in seven cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Chengdu, Hangzhou and Shenyang.
Trend setter
BMW believes China plays a key role in the global new-energy vehicles market.
In 2010, BMW teamed with Tongji University and launched an electric car scientific research project, the first of such collaboration between China and Germany.
BMW is also very active in formulating charging standards, constructing charging facilities and promoting the development of NEV market in China.
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