BimmerMania.com

The second phase of BMW Group’s electro-mobility development is ready
to take to the road

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – February 10, 2011... The introduction of the BMW ActiveE marks the launch of the second phase of the BMW Group’s electro-mobility development strategy. Like the MINI E before it, the BMW ActiveE will be available for lease in select markets beginning in Fall 2011.

project i - research and development of tomorrow’s mobility.
The BMW ActiveE is the BMW Group’s next step towards an emission-free, mass-produced electric vehicle. Within the framework of project i, the BMW Group is carrying out research and development work on the development of electrically powered vehicles. The ultimate goal is the concept of a Megacity Vehicle (MCV) that meets the demands of a sustainable mobility solution for congested urban areas. For this reason, the drive components and battery technology that will be used in the MCV are being tested in the BMW ActiveE.
Ongoing field tests involving more than 600 MINI E cars, including 450 in the US, have already provided vital knowledge about the demands on future electrically powered production vehicles. Beginning in 2011 in the US, Europe and China, a test fleet of over 1,000 BMW ActiveE vehicles, produced at BMW’s Leipzig plant, will provide further valuable insights into the everyday use of the vehicle. The findings will serve to deepen the knowledge already gained on the everyday use of electric vehicles and to learn more about customer requirements. The feedback from customers testing the MINI E and the BMW ActiveE will be fed directly into series production of the MCV, which the BMW Group will be launching under a new sub-brand in 2013.
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