BMW’s First i Store Opens With i3 and i8 Inside. And Bike Inside i3.

BMW is proud of its motorsports and high performance pedigree, but their focus on sustainability and being green cannot be questioned. EfficientDynamics is something that they’ve successfully implemented on road going vehicles; but for tomorrow it is the i-vehicles that are set to create headlines. Not like they are not doing it now.

BMW recently has opened the doors of their first i Store on London’s Park Lane, a showroom that offers a completely new brand experience focussed on sustainable mobility. Conveniently located next to BMW Park Lane and MINI Park Lane, it provides the perfect opportunity for the public to get in-depth knowledge about electromobility as well as BMW’s future electric and plug-in hybrid BMW i vehicles.

Expectedly, both the i3 and i8 will be featured at the i Store. Both these cars help to project where BMW envision the future of motoring will be in years to come – the former is a full-electric vehicle while the latter is a plug-in hybrid. BMW also took the chance to present an advanced concept version of the BMW i3 with a revolutionary interior that uses sustainable natural materials. This i model  will be the company’s first fully-electric series production vehicle and expected to be available to customers from late 2013; the i8 is projected to be on sale in 2014.

Also presented for the first time in public is the new BMW i Wallbox charger which has been specially created for BMW i models. The BMW i Wallbox has been designed to make home-charging particularly easy and efficient. Wallbox installation together with vehicle charging will be offered via selected BMW i partners. Eventual customers will get BMW support to go green with a four-pillar package that includes:

•  Assistance Services – Customers will be able to rely on services such as ConnectedDrive e-remote apps and future roadside services such as mobile recharging equipment.

• Public charging – BMW i will partner with public charging providers in all countries where BMW i models are introduced.

• Home charging – with the BMW i Wallbox.

• Flexible mobility solutions – Customers sometimes have mobility requirements which cannot be completely met by the range of an electric car. In such cases, BMW i will offer mobility options that enable longer distances to be covered – for example, through the loan on such occasions of a BMW powered by a conventional, fuel-efficient combustion engine.

Others seen at the BMW i Store? How about the BMW i Pedelec, it is a pedal electric cycle (hence the name) concept – a custom made complement to the car. It is foldable and does so very quickly and to such compact dimensions that the i3 can store two of it in its boot space.