BMW gets ready for the formal unveiling of the production i3 next week.

Though it’s still nearly a year from reaching U.S. showrooms, BMW has set a price of $42,275 for the new i3 electric vehicle that will serve as the launch platform for its all-new battery-car brand-within-a-brand, BMW i.

The little battery-electric vehicle will primarily target urban commuters who’re nonetheless looking for more than just basic transportation. The BMW i3 will not only offer more up-market attributes but also will be notable as the auto industry’s first mass-produced vehicle to make extensive use of super-light carbon fiber.

“The BMW i3 heralds the dawn of a new era for individual mobility and for the BMW Group,” suggested Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management, Sales and Marketing BMW. “True to a genuine BMW, the BMW i3 has strong emotional appeal, outstanding product substance and a guarantee of sheer driving pleasure.  With this leading-edge vehicle and attractive price, we will provide customers with a compelling offer for electromobility.”

A cutaway showing the specially designed BMW i3 body and platform.

An official unveiling of the production i3 set for next Monday, July 29, underscores the global reach BMW expects for the new i3 battery-car, with simultaneous events scheduled in New York City, London and Beijing.  The electric city car will reach U.S. showrooms during the second quarter of 2014.

(China now BMW’s largest market. Click Here for the story.)

The BMW i3 will offer as much interior space, the maker promises, as that of a more conventional 3-Series model, albeit on a shorter overall body with a turning circle of just 32.3 feet – something that could prove appealing to urban dwellers, especially those in older European or Asian cities.

The maker promises, in a statement, that the new battery-car will be “agile and engaging to drive, yet ideally suited to driving in dense urban areas.”

(Mercedes-Benz will unveil plug-in hybrid S-Class at 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. Click Here for more.)

The BMW i3 will be powered by a 170-horsepower, 184 lb-ft hybrid-synchronous electric motor developed in-house by BMW.  It will draw power from a 22 kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery. And though final EPA testing hasn’t been completed, the maker expects the city car will yield between 80 and 100 miles per charge.

BMW has not revealed charging times using a Level 2 charger, though a completely drained battery would likely require something between 5 to 7 hours using 220 volts depending upon the hardware built into the vehicle, TheDetroitBureau.com estimates. The maker did note that a Level 3, 480-volt quick charger will provide an 80% recharge in 20 minutes.

The BMW i8 (l) and i3 models will be the heart of a new battery-based sub-brand.

(New high-speed charging standard could boost EV sales. Click Herefor details.)

BMW is the latest among a growing list of manufacturers to reveal plans for its entry into the electric vehicle market.  The German maker’s move is significant in several ways, however:

• Like the Nissan Leaf and Tesla Model S, the BMW i3 will be one of the few battery cars to adopt a completely unique platform and body optimized for electric propulsion;
• BMW plans to launch an entirely new battery-based sub-brand, BMW i, and will follow the i3 model with a sportier plug-in hybrid, the BMW i8;
• The i3 will adopt a carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic, or CFRP passenger cell mounted on an aluminum chassis.

Many in the auto industry see super-light carbon fiber as the material of the future. The challenge is bringing down costs that have, until now, largely limited CFRP’s use to Formula One race cars and super-exotic sports car.  The Bavarian maker is pushing to bring down production costs and has set up new CFRP manufacturing facilities in both Moses Lake, Washington and Leipzig, Germany.

The price of the BMW i3 includes a $41,350 MSRP and a $925 delivery charge. But the final figure of $42,275 will be offset by a $7,500 U.S. government tax credit. Buyers also will be eligible for various state incentives, such as the $2,500 credit in California.