The BMW Electric City Car Concept

Many of cars variant that will be part of the trend of the world in 2013. The world's car manufacturers has prepared since the mid 2012 ago. They estimates, along with increasing consumer awareness of the environment and rising fuel prices, this year car trend will lead to small car that fuel-efficient and eco-friendly.

When the exhibition Los Angeles Auto Show held at the end of last year could become a means to study the global auto trends. Various approaches for electric vehicles into the spotlight.

The BMW i3 concept car with the suicide doors. (Picture from: http://www.mybmwi3.com/)

This is what makes BMW, the German car manufacturer when launching their small electric vehicle concept. BMW makes this i3 concept car in 2 variants: 5-door BMW i3 and 3-door BMW i3 Coupe . If the BMW i3 Coupe concept car is a vehicle that fully utilizes the electric motor (all-electric vehicle). Unlike the 5-door BMW i3 concept plug-in hybrid that uses a combination of electric motor and 3-cylinder petrol engine with a capacity of 1.5 liters.

2013 BMW i3 Coupe Concept Front View. (Picture from: http://www.neocarmodels.com/)

BMW i3 Coupe that is capable of driving an electric car with a range of more than 160 km. The plan, this car will be packaged with a variety of features such as parking locator applications where battery recharging, and other urban transport.

2013 BMW i3 Coupe Concept Dashboard. (Picture from: http://www.neocarmodels.com/)

The BMW i3 Coupe has a 170 horsepower (125 kW) electric motor that makes 250 Nm (184 lb-ft) of torque. This power is channeled through a one-speed transmission to the rear wheels as all of the running gear is in the back. It will enable model to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in less than eight seconds and travel approximately 130-160 km (80-100 miles) on a single charge. But the i3 maximum speed is limited to 149,67kph (93mph) to protect the charge of the battery.

2013 BMW i3 Coupe Concept Instrument. (Picture from: http://www.neocarmodels.com/)

The lithium-ion batteries are all mounted flat on the  floor for a lower center of gravity. BMW claims a total recharge time of the battery pack in six hours on a conventional 220 volt mains charge. An 80 per cent capacity in one-hour fast charge is also available. A heavy-acting brake-energy recuperation system also features, as does a ‘coast mode’ that can be used for periods of energy-neutral freewheeling.

2013 BMW i3 Coupe Concept Seating. (Picture from: http://www.neocarmodels.com/)

The BMW i3 Coupe is based around a light but highly resilient CFRP (carbonfibre reinforced plastic) body structure and rides on a predominantly aluminium chassis. BMW claims the production version will weigh 1,270kg – some 265kg above the more conventionally constructed Mini One.

2013 BMW i3 Coupe Concept Rear Side. (Picture from: http://www.neocarmodels.com/)

At 3,845mm in length, 2,011mm in width and 1,537mm in height, the five-door i3 is 120mm longer, 326mm wider and 132mm higher than the Mini One. It rides on a platform boasting a 105mm longer wheelbase at 2,570mm and wider tracks. Therefore the i3 has a larger footprint than its Mini stablemate, yet it’s still smaller than any existing BMW model.

2013 BMW i3 Coupe Concept Charger. (Picture from: http://www.neocarmodels.com/)

And the BMW i3 Coupe, previously known as Megacity Vehicle, eschews the traditional low-slung lines of contemporary BMW small cars for a distinctly more upright stance aimed at providing the i3’s four adult occupants with excellent all-round visibility. There is a nominal 200 litres of luggage space behind the rear seats.

The BMW i3 Coupe will be produced around 30,000 units in the 2013. The car will be the competitor for the Mini. When sold in Europe, the i3 will be priced around 40,000 euro (or approx Rp. 515 million) and in America, the car will sold around U.S  $55,000 (or approx Rp. 528 million). The pricing is still unsure, however, since the price may range between $35,000 to $55,000 (or approx Rp. 336 million to Rp. 528 million). *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | AUTOCAR | GANDZCARS | OVI | PIKIRAN RAKYAT 04012013]

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