BMW to launch electric city car by 2012
As more governments begin to plan for a world less reliant on OPEC, BMW has set their sights on the future. The company has acknowledged the need to explore alternatives to traditional cars, and has set up a new division responsible for the development of "new car and mobility concepts." Meant to look into transportation solutions for the biggest cities in the world, "Project i" may develop ideas for any division within BMW.
Source: World Car Fans
500 Mini E's destined for pioneers in real world test
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| BMW Electric Concept Vehicle |
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| Isetta |
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In order to comply with California's new clean air regulations, (as well as meeting the carbon-free needs in major city centers around the world that want zero-emissions vehicles as practical means for personal mobility), BMW is planning its smallest car in recent memory.
The rear-engine car is scheduled to arrive Stateside by 2012, just in time to meet California's laws that would require major car manufacturers to produce a certain amount of zero emission vehicles. While this law requires the car to be battery-or fuel-cell-powered and have a range of over 200 miles, BMW believes an electric car to be "the most likely answer.”
The company would have uses for the platform in other markets as well, with different low-emissions engines that could include the German vehicle manufacturer's motorcycle engines. A concept car developed by Austria's Magna Steyr is being considered by the automaker as the basis for the new green car.
BMW will decide by the end of the year whether it will seek co-operation with another carmaker to produce the Isetta, with SmartCar, a likely and rumored partner. The maker also hasn't decided if it would sell the vehicle under the BMW name, MINI or something new altogether.
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According to a report by Automobile Magazine, BMW decided to create EVs in order to deal with upcoming “incentives” (read: tax penalties and fuel economy and emissions standards) aimed at greening the auto industry. In the words of BMW CEO Norbert Reithofer, himself, adopting new (green) concepts and technologies will be crucial to carmakers’ survival in upcoming years. Accordingly, BMW is working on a line of green cars, SUVs, and motorcycles, which will complete its “Project i” line. Its first “Project i” vehicle, the MINI E electric car, is already being tested by 500 customers in California
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| BMW Project i car |
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| Mini E test program announced |
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| Parent Group BMW plans to export nearly 500 electric versions of its Mini car to California. BMW sources say 490 of the Mini E's will be leased to selected customers in New Jersey, New York, and Los Angeles - 10 will be used as show cars. More
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| Note -
The egg-shaped Isetta can be said to be the very best microcar of its time. Certainly it is the archetypal "bubble car", and is today recognized and loved worldwide. The car’s origins were in Milan, Italy at the scooter and refrigerator company of Iso SpA, run by Renzo Rivolta. Called Isetta, or "little Iso", the car was a startling, totally unconventional design that caused a furor at its introduction in Turin in November 1953. From this influential debut grew a number of licensed branches worldwide, the main one being BMW in Germany.
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