2013 BMW i3

BMW for several years provided prototype electric cars like the Mini-E and the Active-E to paying customers. Both were explicitly research projects under which customers paid a fairly expensive lease to have an electric car and provide marketing/acceptance information back to BMW.

Now that the Active-E program has ended, BMW has unveiled the BMW i3 and is promising several cars in the "BMW i" brand in the future. The BMW i3 is a relatively small car that is astonishingly the first mass-production car to use carbon fiber.

The BMW i3 was also the first electric car to use the Combo Charging System. And it was the first to offer a small gasoline engine for range extension, rather than the full size gas engines used in other PHEV's. The BMW i3 REX still offers 80+ miles electric range, along with the gasoline engine to help with range if need be.

2013 BMW i3 product overview

2013 BMW i3 first mass-produced car using Carbon Fiber components