BMW’s i8 PHEV Receives a Drop Top
 

BMW’s i8 Concept Spyder is a perfect example of the future of personal transportation.

Wayne Gerdes - CleanMPG - April 28, 2012

The BMW i8 Spyder PHEV-31 Concepts world premiere occurred at the Beijing, China Auto Show.

Project i was launched in late 2007 as an initiative to develop sustainable and pioneering mobility concepts. The long-term goal of project i is to bring fresh thinking to the company’s technologies, processes and vehicle concepts, whether in production, development or sales.

The Approach

Project i’s intent is to think ahead of current automobile propulsion design by using downsized displacement. All in, project i leverages expertise from everybody employed within and outside the company.

The i8

BMW’s i8 eDrive PHEV-31 is a turbo-diesel concept built upon the ever expanding EfficientDynamics program.

BMW eDrive includes the in-house developed electric motor, the lithium-ion battery, and finally the intelligent motor management system. This technology ensures that eDrive will provide a unique driving experience. The Li-Ion pack and intelligent motor management system offers a substantial increase in range and power.

The i8 PHEV blends the sport with the fuel consumption of a much smaller car and will be manufactured at BMW’s Leipzig Germany manufacturing facility.