BMW unveils premium eco sub-brand
BMW has revealed a sub-brand “BMW i – Born Electric” for its sustainable vehicles division as part of its plan to develop premium products and services tailored to consumers’ rapidly changing mobility needs.
The German car-marque has also launched BMW i Venture, a venture capital company to drive the development of its premium mobility services.
BMW says its sub-brand and New York-based venture capital firm is a “revolution” in the automotive sector “creating visionary cars and services and an entirely new concept of premium mobility combined with sustainability”.
BMW i Venture has been created to develop premium mobility services that are independent of BMW vehicles making use of smartphone devices and technology.
Ian Robertson, BMW sales and marketing director, says: “This is the start of a new movement in premium mobility … and an expansion of the BMW brand promise and the strength of BMW’s reputation. BMW i Venture can use the resources of the BMW Group and act with the speed and agility of a startup.”
BMW revealed its first strategic partnership under BMW i Venture, with location based city app Mycityway which offers a city guide including events, listings, traffic information and public transport. Under the BMW partnership, the service will expand beyond its existing 40 US cities to 40 further cities worldwide.
Robertson adds that while BMW intends to make a profit from its mobility services, part of the aim is to introduce people to the BMW Group, who might later become customers.
The German car marque unveiled the first two eco-cars to be launched under the BMW i brand but says that the range could stretch from small environmentally friendly city cars to sporty lifestyle vehicles.
The BMW i3, an electric city car, and the BMW i8 a hybrid vehicle designed for longer distances, but with emissions of a small car.
The car manufacturer says the vehicles developed under the BMW i brand will be clearly distinctive from cars bearing the parent company BMW brand through design features and a new evolution of the BMW emblem.
