BMW’s i8 plug-in hybrid unveiled at Frankfurt Motor Show, headed to US next spring for $135,925 and up

BMW's i8 plug-in hybrid unveiled at Frankfurt Motor Show, headed to US next spring for $135,925 and up

BMW’s first plug-in hybrid, the i8, just made its official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show. In addition to sharing full specs — including a 1.5-liter, turbocharged, three-cylinder engine; 362 horsepower with all-wheel drive and a fuel economy figure of 94 miles per gallon — the German carmaker shared the model’s substantial MSRP; the i8 will go for $135,925 and up when it arrives stateside in spring 2014. As we suspected, the wing-doored coupe is made from lightweight materials including carbon fiber-reinforced plastic, and it even utilizes chemically hardened glass to reduce the vehicle’s noise and weight. Charging with a 110-volt outlet should take just less than four hours, and BMW says its charging station trims fuel-up time to just 1.5 hours. There are plenty more figures to dazzle you just past the break — it’s not quite the same as stepping behind the wheel, but today’s other announcements prevent us from making the jaunt to Frankfurt.

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Via: Autoblog

BMW opens i Store in sync with London Olympics, shows tourists their electric destiny

BMW opens Flagship i Store in sync with Olympics, shows Londoners their EV future

Technology companies have been lining up to milk the London Olympics spotlight for all it’s worth. BMW isn’t shy about taking its turn, but it’s not looking to cash in — directly, we mean. The automaker is instead using its just-opened i Store to showcase everything electric and hybrid for downtown visitors who aren’t busy watching the cycling. Its centerpieces are unquestionably the i3 and i8, which won’t even go on sale until many months after the summer games’ closing ceremonies; the i3 on the floor is closer to the street model, though, and will tease EV drivers with BMW’s option packs. Should that make your bank account cringe far too soon, the i Pedelec scooter and the i Wallbox charger will be hanging around as well. If you didn’t book a ticket to Heathrow in time, don’t panic: the i line is going on a world tour this year that starts in Rome, swings past the US and Japan, and comes full circle to London in 2013.

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BMW opens i Store in sync with London Olympics, shows tourists their electric destiny originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 26 Jul 2012 01:39:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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