BMW i “Born Electric” World Tour to Make Only U.S. Stop in New York City November from 13th – 18th

BMW’s Forum Exploring the Future of Mobility will Also Feature the North American Debuts of the BMW i8 Spyder Concept and Next Generation BMW i3 Concept

Woodcliff Lake, NJ – October 25, 2012… BMW of North America announced today that the BMW i “Born Electric” world tour will arrive in New York City on November 13th – 18th offering the public an opportunity to explore the future of mobility through new vehicles including the North America debuts of the BMW i8 Spyder Concept and next generation BMW i3 Concept, interactive displays and demonstrations of technologies that will help shape the way we move in and around our cities in the future.  The event will be open to the public on Tuesday, November 13th from 6:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m. and on Wednesday, November 14th through Sunday, November 18th from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m.   

The BMW i world tour stop in New York City, at 1095 Avenue of the Americas (between 41st & 42nd Streets), will be presented under the banner, “The Future is Closer than You Think” and feature discussions exploring the significant mobility challenges facing America’s largest cities and highlight some of the initiatives being implemented to meet those challenges.  The event will also include forward-looking discussions of other transportation issues that are likely to impact our cities in the years and decades to come.

The event will also feature the North American debuts of the BMW i8 Spyder Concept and the next generation BMW i3 Concept.  The BMW i3 and i8 will become first purpose-built electric and hybrid-electric production vehicles to be made primarily from carbon when they become available in 2013 and 2014 respectively. 

The seven-city, year-long global tour exploring the future of mobility is an initiative of BMW i, BMW’s visionary and sustainable brand dedicated to the development of new vehicles and services aimed at solving the mobility challenges facing the world’s most densely populated cities.

“The greatest population increases in the future will occur in the world’s already crowded cities, which will further stress their mobility infrastructure and create a need for new vehicles and technologies that make getting around easier and more efficient,” said Ludwig Willisch, President and CEO, BMW of North America.  “The sole purpose of BMW i is to address these issues and provide solutions that will improve personal mobility for each individual, whether it be by car or other modes of transportation.”

In addition, BMW i will host a hackathon beginning on Friday, November 16, 2012 at 7:00 p.m. through Sunday, November 18, 2012 at 4:00 p.m. Under the theme of sustainability, teams of developers will be challenged to create an original app with the purpose of addressing some of the most pressing environmental problems facing major cities.  A group of judges will decide the winners of the contest based on the team’s ability to clearly articulate what the app does, the originality of the idea and whether the app is native to iOS and Android operating systems. For more information or to register for the BMW i hackathon, interested parties should visit: http://sustainhack.eventbrite.com/#

The BMW i Born Electric Tour kicked-off in Rome in June 2012, making stops in Dusseldorf and Tokyo prior to New York.  Following the New York stop, the tour will travel to London (January 2013) and Paris (March 2013) before ending in Shanghai (June 2013).  For more information and full program details, visit www.bmwusa.com/bmwi. 

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About BMW i

BMW i is about the development of visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspiring design, and a new premium perception strongly guided by sustainability. Under the banner of the young sub-brand, the BMW Group is developing purpose-built vehicle concepts which redefine the understanding of personal mobility. Key elements include groundbreaking technologies, intelligent lightweight design and the innovative use of materials, all with the aim of creating vehicles with extremely low weight, the greatest possible range, generous interior space, poised and authoritative driving characteristics, and exceptional safety.

Sustainability plays a paramount role in the BMW i concept. It is an issue that runs like a thread throughout the value chain – all the way from purchasing, through development and production to sales and marketing. And when it comes to the efficient manufacturing of its vehicles, BMW i goes a step further still.

BMW Group in America

BMW of North America, LLC has been present in the United States since 1975. Rolls-Royce Motor Cars NA, LLC began distributing vehicles in 2003. The BMW Group in the United States has grown to include marketing, sales, and financial service organizations for the BMW brand of motor vehicles, including motorcycles, the MINI brand, and the Rolls-Royce brand of Motor Cars; DesignworksUSA, a strategic design consultancy in California; a technology office in Silicon Valley and various other operations throughout the country. BMW Manufacturing Co., LLC in South Carolina is part of BMW Group’s global manufacturing network and is the exclusive manufacturing plant for all X5 and X3 Sports Activity Vehicles and X6 Sports Activity Coupes. The BMW Group sales organization is represented in the U.S. through networks of 338 BMW passenger car and BMW Sports Activity Vehicle centers, 139 BMW motorcycle retailers, 115 MINI passenger car dealers, and 32 Rolls-Royce Motor Car dealers. BMW (US) Holding Corp., the BMW Group’s sales headquarters for North America, is located in Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey.

Information about BMW Group products is available to consumers via the Internet at:  www.bmwgroupna.com

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Journalist note: Information about the BMW Group and its products is available to journalists on-line at the BMW Group PressClub at the following address: www.press.bmwna.com.  Additional information, images and video may be found at www.bmwusanews.com.  Broadcast quality video footage is available via The NewsMarket at www.thenewsmarket.com.

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