BMW hosted a preview of its first i Store, a London-based showroom that will feature the premium automaker’s line of electric and hybrid vehicles, including the BMW i3 and the i8 sedan.
The event also showcased the debut of the BMW iPedelec, an electric bicycle concept. Constructed in aluminium and carbon fiber, the iPedelec can reach speeds of 25 km/h (15 mph), will have a 40 km (25 miles) range and a battery that can be totally charged in four hours.
The BMW i3 is the first totally electric car conceived by the German firm. Designed to be used in an urban environment, the model is also unique in its use of interior space, which provides an impression of openness and is based around sustainable materials. The airiness of the car design is enhanced by the fact that much of the electric technology is largely out of sight in the lower portion of the vehicle.
The BMW i8 has a sportier design and is not purely electric but rather an extended range hybrid with a three-cylinder gasoline engine that takes over when the battery on the electric engine is drained.
Both cars are designed to be on the market in 2013-2014.
Last month the German brand debuted another unique car retailing environment with the opening of its Paris showroom on tony Avenue George V, a site which hosts the brand’s most luxurious models in addition to concept cars and models on loan from the BMW museum in Munich.
The Park Lane London showroom officially opens its doors to consumers July 25.