BMW i–a new sub-brand of German car maker BMW (BMW.DE)–launched on Monday with the motto "Born Electric". The German car company is rebranding its sustainable vehicles division in an effort to differentiate its upcoming line of electric vehicles.
BMW said the new sub-brand will focus on "mobility services" as a whole, rather than focusing narrowly on making and selling electric vehicles. What this means exactly is still a little fuzzy, though it will likely include the development of charging infrastructures and payment options.
To this end, BMW also announced the launch of a venture capital company that aims to expand the product portfolio of the sub-brand over the long term through investments in innovative service providers. The first company in which BMW i Ventures holds a stake is My City Way, a company that offers a mobile information portal as a smartphone app, which is sure to be one method of payment for juicing up an electric vehicle at a charging station.
The BMW i launch is accompanied by a new website illustrating the company’s vision and focus on sustainability. The site includes videos about the "world of BMW i", as well as design sketches and details of the engineering principles behind the upcoming electric vehicles BMW i3 and BMW i8.
BMW said the website also will pick up on public debates around the latest developments in urbanization, sustainability and mobility, while engaging with social media websites like Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
Separately, BMW unit Rolls-Royce announced that it has
developed a fully electric prototype based on its top-end Phantom model. The
company did not say if and when the vehicle will enter production.
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Thank you Russell. I hope these BMWs look nice. There are a lot of electric vehicles out there that don’t look very good.