Bloomberg drives the new BMW i8 at the 2014 Beijing Motor Show.
The ultra high-end electric and hybrid car space is suddenly getting a bit more crowded in China. Tesla had the first deliveries of the Model S to Chinese customers this week, while BMW will roll out its hybrid i8 super sports car for the China market by the end of the year. Bloomberg’s Stephen Engle got behind the wheel of BMW’s new offering in Beijing.
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).
In Germany2015 BMW i8 in Crystal White NEW PHOTOS, the BMW i8 starts at €126,000, while in the UK it will cost £ 99,125. The U.S. market will also get the BMW i8 in 2014 at a base price of $135,700.
