Green technology is crawling to all aspects of our lives. You see ways how to be more eco-friendly wen you shop, use home appliances, or now even with luxury cars. European car manufacturer BMW recently rolled out a concept vehicle that is designed for city dwellers who want to decrease their carbon footprints. The BMW i3 relies purely on electric power while the interior of the car has been produced using the most sustainable materials possible.
The car also comes with a pair of electric bikes called i Pedelec that fold nicely into the boot. These bikes have electric motors that can speed up to 16 mph and can easily handle small hills and the city streets. The bikes also make use of the downhill roll and braking to conserve some energy by making use of additional power from the generator.
The electric bikes can take passengers up to 25 miles when the battery is fully charged. The boot of the BMW i3 also has docks that can charge the bicycles. The concept BMW i3 has a tag price of $45,000 with the bikes coming as an option.
According to BMW, the i3 might go on production and be released as a 2014 model. A bigger sibling, the BMW i8 that runs on electricity and gasoline will roll out by 2015.
The i3 will follow the pillarless design concept that will depend on the carbon-fiber construction materials for its architectural strength. The doors on the rear end will be rear-hinged and open in reduced arcs thru a parallelogram system. This makes entrance and exit easier for the occupants.
The production time of the i3 is now faster compared to the conventional BMW vehicle using the carbon-fiber panels produced in their Leipzig plant. The interior of the vehicle makes use of organic materials like wood, wool, and hemp.
