BMW's new "i" range of cars will use cameras, radar and sensors to follow the traffic up to 40km/h, accelerating, braking and steering itself. All the driver has to do on the commute to work is have one hand on the steering wheel.
If the traffic becomes too heavy, the car may even suggest pulling over and catching a bus or train to work.
But BMW's new range of smart cars is not just all work and no play. In conjunction with your smart phone, they will also book you a table at a restaurant or tickets to a concert, then direct you to the closest free parking space.
BMW is also developing partnerships in programs such as a DriveNow car-sharing service; MyCityWay, a mobile app that provides information on public transport, parking availability and even entertainment; and ParkatmyHouse, an internet platform allowing owners to rent their driveway or parking space.
BMW sales and marketing boss Ian Robertson i8 could cost about $300,000. He wouldn't reveal the cost of the small, urban i3 car. However,you can bet it wont be cheap as both cars are largely made of strong and lightweight carbon fibre reinforced plastic which is stratospherically expensiveThis car was previously known as the Megacity Vehicle, the BMW Group’s first series-produced all-electric car. It features an electric motor over the rear axle with 125kW of power and 250Nm of torque pushing it to 60km/h in under four seconds and to 100km/h in less than eight seconds.
The battery is under the floor with a liquid cooling system to keep it at optimum operating temperature. It can be charged in six hours from the mains. Because of the braking effect of the engine when you release the accelerator, BMW claims you can drive the car in traffic without using the brake on most occasions. They call it “single-pedal control”. At faster speeds, the car goes into a free-wheeling cruise mode when the accelerator is released.
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