Revolutionary BMW i3 welcomed by UK Government Minister and Mayor of London

The all-new electric BMW i3 was revealed today in London to over 250 representatives from a wide range of European bodies and organisations responsible for shaping the future of sustainable urban mobility and creating the framework conditions for the take-up of electric vehicles. Guest of honour, Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin MP, reinforced the commitment of the UK Government to support industry in its efforts to develop and deploy a growing range of innovative low-carbon vehicles and mobility services that will help to decarbonise the transport sector and make urban mobility increasingly sustainable.

Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management, Sales and Marketing BMW, unveiled the BMW i3 to an audience that included government policy officials, representatives from London borough councils, energy companies and infrastructure providers, financial analysts, investment advisors and non-governmental organisations. Participants from France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Spain and Sweden were among the attendees at an international event that explored the important contributions being made by car manufacturers, policy-makers, academic institutions and many other organisations to accelerate the transition to a low carbon future. 

Robertson said: ‘The BMW i3 heralds the dawn of a new era for individual mobility and for the BMW Group. True to a genuine BMW, the BMW i3 has strong emotional appeal, outstanding product substance and a guarantee of sheer driving pleasure. Working together with governments, city mayors and other key partners, we are confident that this exciting new solution for urban mobility will provide customers with an attractive offer for electromobility and successfully address the environmental challenges facing a growing number of megacities around the world.’

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said: ‘It is fantastic to see a great brand like BMW introducing such a striking electric vehicle to the mainstream market. This shows that, like Government, industry is serious about this technology. We have just announced an extra £500m to drive the growing market for ultra-low emission vehicles. That announcement underscores our ambitions for this sector and will help to create a stable and buoyant industry to support it.  This is some of the most long-sighted and comprehensive support for these vehicles anywhere in the world and will put Britain in the vanguard of this growing market.’

London is leading the way in electric car use in the UK. With funding from the UK Government, in 2011, the Mayor of London launched ‘Source London’, the UK’s first city-wide electric vehicle charging point network and membership scheme, as part of his on-going commitment to increase electric car use in the capital in order to improve air quality and reduce carbon.  He also has plans to introduce the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London from 2020 which would see dramatic benefits in air quality and provide a major spur for the further development and mass take-up of zero and low emission vehicles in the capital.  

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, said: “We have to get the conditions right to ensure motorists can comfortably take up the option of electric vehicle motoring and this latest innovation should help to make zero-emission vehicles a more common choice for consumers. In the capital we’ve also introduced Source London, a city-wide public charging network, to make the transition to electric even easier, helping to drive down pollution and improve quality of life.”

A panel discussion involving experts from five different European countries looked at the effectiveness of tax incentives, the growing charging infrastructure network, the introduction of innovative car-sharing schemes and the use of renewable energy to power electric vehicles as key factors in determining the future success of electromobility.

The all-new BMW i3 will be delivered to UK customers in November 2013. It is the world’s first premium electric vehicle designed from the ground up to be powered by an electric drive system. It is also a world first by virtue of bringing together visionary design, pioneering technology and an innovative vehicle concept that includes a passenger cell made of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).

Ends

The BMW Group

The BMW Group is the leading premium manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles in the world with its BMW, MINI and Rolls-Royce brands. As a global company, the BMW Group operates 28 production and assembly facilities in 13 countries and has a global sales network in more than 140 countries.

In 2012, the BMW Group sold about 1.85 million cars and more than 117,000 motorcycles worldwide. The profit before tax for the financial year 2012 was euro 7.82 billion on revenues amounting to euro 76.85 billion. At 31 December 2012, the BMW Group had a workforce of 105,876 employees.

The success of the BMW Group has always been built on long-term thinking and responsible action. The company has therefore established ecological and social sustainability throughout the value chain, comprehensive product responsibility and a clear commitment to conserving resources as an integral part of its strategy. As a result of its efforts, the BMW Group has been ranked industry leader in the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes for the last eight years.

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Office for Low Emission Vehicles
Through its cross-departmental Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV), the UK Government has created a wide-ranging programme to position the UK as a world leader in ultra low emission vehicles. OLEV is investing around £400 million to 2015 to support research and development and infrastructure for this sector, as well as providing an incentive for vehicle buyers worth up to £5,000 for cars and £8,000 for vans. Beyond 2015, the Government recently announced that it will provide over £500 million of additional capital investment to further consolidate the UK’s position. The UK Government will publish a strategy later this year setting out its ambitions for the ultra low emission vehicle sector.

 

Mayor of London

On 26 May 2011, the Mayor of London launched Source London, the UK’s first city-wide electric vehicle charging point network and membership scheme. On 30 April 2013, Transport for London delivered the Mayor’s aspiration to create 1,300 public charge points across the city, making it even easier for electric vehicle owners to plug in whilst on the move in London. This means there are more charging points than petrol stations in London – giving Londoners the confidence that they can charge their vehicle easily and conveniently at charge points located at both on-street and off-street locations such as supermarkets, public car parks and shopping and leisure centres.

On 13 February 2013.  the Mayor of London announced his intention to create the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone in central London. The ULEZ will, he believes, deliver dramatic benefits in air quality and provide a major spur for the further development and mass take-up of zero and low emission vehicles. Transport for London are looking at the feasibility of vehicles driving in the centre of the capital from 2020 being zero or low emission.

For further information please contact:

Piers Scott                            General Manager, Product and Internal Communications

Tel: 01344 480113             Email: Piers.Scott@bmw.co.uk

Graham Biggs                       Corporate Communications Director

Tel:  01344 480109            Email:  Graham.Biggs@bmw.co.uk

Press office fax:                    01344 480306

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