BMW’s has created the first mass produced plugin hybrid sportscar, the i8. BMW i8 uses a plug-in hybrid system consisting of a turbocharged three-cylinder BMW TwinPower Turbo petrol engine and BMW eDrive technology in the form of an electric drive system.
The 1.5-liter combustion engine develops 170 kW/231 hp and drives the rear wheels of the BMW i8, while the 96 kW/131 hp electric drive sends its power to the front wheels and allows an all-electric range of up to 35 kilometers (22 miles) and a top speed of 120 km/h (75 mph).
The first plug-in hybrid sportscar will debut in the United States in August of this year and is also the second model of the new BMW i sub-brand. As with the i3, the core of the car is the LifeDrive architecture with carbon passenger cell which gives the i8 a particularly low weight.
XCAR take to the road to see if our preconceptions of hybrid cars can be changed forever.
