Spy photographers have spotted BMW testing a prototype version of the upcoming BMW i3 electric hatchback in northern Sweden in extreme winter conditions.

BMW has already started to drip-feed details of its 2014 i3 electric car to the press. Last month, BMW unveiled its latest concept i3 at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show, confirming its 7.9 second 0-62 mph time, electronically limited top speed of 93 mph and range-extender engine option.

BMW wants to produce a car which is 100% recyclable, including the electric motor, the battery pack, the dashboard and the seats. BMW will use naturally grown fibers to make seat and dash components instead of oil-derived plastics, something it hopes will help the BMW i brand become a sign of luxury in its future cars. The battery pack will be a prismatic lithium-ion battery made by Bosch and Samsung. The pack’s weigh should be around 500 pounds, so it’s the same amount saved by using aluminum and carbon fiber to build the i3’s chassis.

BMW i3 should be one of the lightest electric cars and can easily achieve the 100 mile range.

BMW and its Chinese partner Brilliance Automotive have unveiled a concept plug-in hybrid sedan based on the long wheelbase version of the BMW 5 Series Sedan.

The BMW 5 Series Plug-In Hybrid is developed exclusively for the Chinese market and produced at the Shenyang site. Series production of the 5 Series Hybrid will probably start in China in 2013.

The new prototype features a parallel hybrid system that combines a TwinPower Turbo gasoline engine with an electric motor. The included battery used to power the electric motor also features a plug-in system, allowing it to be up charged up by mains power.

When running purely on electrical power, it is possible to travel for up to … Read More

When it comes to future cars, green has become the new black. So it’s only natural that automobile designers are starting to dream-up new shapes and sizes for what will be the supercar of the future.

It’s only a matter of time before the world’s oil reserves run out and we switch to electric vehicles completely. However, just because they don’t have that deep V12 bellowing exhaust sound doesn’t mean that electric supercars can’t look as good as their fossil-fuel burning counterparts look.

We’ve made quite the introduction for this T2 Concept car, that offers 469 horsepower from its 3.5-liter hybrid powerplant.

The V6 petrol engine is mid-mounted for better weight distribution and is mated to a couple of electric motors, giving the car a hint of the green virus. All that power takes the supercar to 100 km/h (62 mph) in around 4 seconds. The designer has paid … Read More

The new BMW 1-Series M Coupe, which was announced to be launched at the North American International Auto Show in 2011, revealed its front-left corner in a new tease video.