BMW Life Drive concept lowers vehicle weight.

Sustainable electric mobility calls for completely new solutions – which also applies to the vehicle architecture. At BMW i, this solution is termed “Life Drive”, a vehicle architecture especially designed for the electric vehicle. This innovation not only more than compensates for the weight of the battery, but also lowers the centre of gravity, guaranteeing a high degree of occupant safety. The Life Drive architecture of the BMW i3 and the i8 comprises two modules – the Life Module as a passenger compartment and the Drive Module, a suspension set-up featuring integrated drive technology.

The Life Module consists of high-strength, extremely light carbon, a material that is 50 per cent lighter than steel but significantly more rigid. The BMW Group is the world’s first company to industrialize the CFRP production process for economical usage in automobile production. Thanks to the use of this material, it was possible to dispense with the B pillar in the entrance area of both the BMW i3 and the BMW i8, thereby conveying a distinct feeling of spaciousness and permitting convenient access to the interior. The Drive Module is made of lightweight aluminum and accommodates all suspension, heating/air conditioning and drive components as well as the battery. All in all, this means more room for the passengers and, thanks to the low centre of gravity, typical BMW agility and road-holding characteristics.

BMW eDrive guarantees zero-emission driving pleasure.

The BMW eDrive concept, i.e. an electric motor and a liquid-cooled lithium-ion high-voltage battery, was developed by BMW. The electric motor accelerates from standstill with maximum torque and enables zero-emission driving by using 100 per cent renewable energy sources. Over its lifetime the BMW i3 thus leaves behind a CO2 footprint only about half that of the reference vehicle, the World Green Car of the Year 2008, the BMW 118d (urban/extra-urban/combined: 5.1/3.6/4.1 l/100 km; CO2 emissions: 119 g/km). At the same time, typical BMW driving pleasure remains the trademark of the BMW i3 and, of course, the BMW i8 as well.

BMW i8 – trailblazer in the sports car segment.

The BMW i8 was intentionally conceived right from the start as a high-performing and exceptionally efficient plug-in hybrid sports car. The model-specific plug-in hybrid system of the BMW i8, which was exclusively developed and produced by the BMW Group, marks a new evolutionary milestone in the development of the company’s Efficient Dynamics technology. The basic principle of Efficient Dynamics – enhanced driving pleasure, lower fuel consumption – is particularly resolutely implemented in the BMW i8. With the performance characteristics of a thoroughbred sports car and the fuel economy of a small car, the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid sets benchmarks that can only be achieved by incorporating the revolutionary LifeDrive vehicle concept. As a result, the BMW i8 is the trailblazer of a new generation of sports cars that are defined not only by performance, but also by intelligent solutions to the challenges of individual mobility of the future.

The BMW i8 boasts an entirely new sports car design featuring many aerodynamically refined details. At the same time, the 2+2-seater car isimmediately recognisable as a model of the BMW i brand and a sports car of a new generation. At the front, the bonnet is encompassed by slightly higher wheel arches and, together with the almost closed kidney grille, shapes an extremely flat and muscular frontal view. The precise swage line emphasizes the wedge shape of the body and, together with the sloping roofline and the C pillar, creates an aerodynamic and sporty exterior design. In order to further optimize fuel economy, the BMW i8 ensures aerodynamically favorable airflow within all areas of the body, including Stream Flow air routing from the side to the rear, a smooth underside and the diffuser located beneath the rear end. Optional laser headlights developed exclusively by BMW with three-fold light intensity, doubled high beam range and extremely low energy consumption are unique worldwide.