BMW will have 240 electric and hybrid cars at the London Olympics this summer as part of the fleet of 4,000 vehicles the German automaker is supplying to the Games.

As Official Automotive Partner to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, BMW is bringing 160 units of the 1 Series ActiveE small family car and 40 of the even smaller Mini E, with another 40 units of the 5 Series Active Hybrid.

When they need to charge up, the electric BMWs will showcase London’s new charging infrastructure – 120 new high speed charge points installed in five key locations such as at ExCeL London.

The rest of the BMW fleet for the Olympics is made up of the 320d EfficientDynamics (1,550 vehicles), 520d Efficient Dynamics (700 vehicles), X3 xDrive 20d (17), X5 xDrive 30d (10) and Mini Countryman Cooper D (200 vehicles), plus another 25 R1200 RT motorcycles and 400 BMW Streetcruiser bicycles.

The fleet will be on call for a wide range of duties during the Games, which open on July 27 and conclude on August 12.

LOCOG’s challenging average fleet emissions target of 120 grams of carbon dioxide (CO2) per kilometer was set far below the UK total new car emissions average of 138 grams CO2 per kilometer / 54.2 mpg.

The BMW and MINI fleet surpasses the target with average CO2 emissions of 116 grams CO2 per kilometer or 64.5 mpg.

The BMW electric vehicles and hybrids will be the first medium-sized cars on UK roads that meet the 2014 EU6 emissions regulations. As of September 2014, EU6 will be the mandatory emission limit for all new cars. EU6 brings down diesel nitrogen oxide emissions to petrol car level.

At the London Games, 80 percent of the BMW fleet will fulfil EU6 emission standards two years before they become mandatory.

Like its Coupe sibling, the emotionally charged BMW i8 Concept Spyder combines intelligent lightweight design with the leading-edge drivetrain technology eDrive, while its open-top two-seater construction delivers an even more intense driving experience.

Compared with the Coupe variant of the BMW i8 Concept, the BMW i8 Concept Spyder has a slightly shorter wheelbase and overall length. With its compact dimensions and distinctive exterior paintwork, the sports car exudes a feeling of dynamism before it so much as turns a wheel, while striking features of its design include upward-swivelling, windowless doors and a transparent glass panel at the rear.

Underneath this cover two electric kickboards are stowed, providing a visual showcase for the fun factor in mobility and adding another layer to the car’s recreational appeal. Inside, a revised material and color concept provides an extra dose of sportiness.

The BMW i8 Concept Spyder with eDrive is a plug-in hybrid combining two different power sources and employing the specific advantages of its electric motor and combustion engine to optimum effect. The hybrid drivetrain’s key components gel together with outstanding smoothness, allowing it to offer peerless dynamic capability and maximum efficiency. In other words, the open-top two-seater produces the performance of an out-and-out sports machine yet posts the fuel economy of a small car.

The 96 kW (131 hp) electric motor on the front axle works in tandem with a turbocharged three-cylinder petrol engine sending 164 kW (223 hp) through the rear wheels. Both units are in-house BMW Group developments and generate an aggregate system output of 260 kW (354 hp) and peak torque of 550 Newton meters. That is enough to accelerate the BMW i8 Concept Spyder from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in five seconds on the way to an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h (155 mph). Despite this performance, the two-seater burns just three liters of gasoline per 100 kilometers (equivalent to fuel economy of 94 mpg UK or 78mpg US) in the European test cycle.

The electric motor sources its energy from a lithium-ion battery which can be fully charged from a domestic power socket in less than two hours. The high-output battery is located in the energy tunnel between the front and rear axle modules in order to keep the car’s centre of gravity as low as possible – and therefore to maximize the car’s dynamic performance. The space-saving and well-balanced packaging of this and other drive and chassis components gives the sporting two-seater ideal 50:50 weight distribution.

With its battery fully charged, the BMW i8 Concept Spyder can cover up to 30 kilometers (19 miles) on electric power alone. As such, far from filling in as a bit-part player, the electric motor plays a role equal to that of the petrol engine. If required, a high-voltage alternator hooked up to the combustion engine generates extra power, which is then stored in the hybrid battery. This range-extending function during the course of a journey allows the two-seater to travel further between charging stations.

Another special feature of the BMW i8 Concept Spyder is the ability to send power through the front, rear or all four wheels at the same time. Intelligent control electronics ensure that the optimum drive configuration is available for the situation at hand. The driver can view the driving mode currently engaged and monitor the activity of the two drive sources on the large information display in the cockpit.

Like the Coupe, the BMW i8 Concept Spyder is also built around the innovative LifeDrive architecture, a fusion of independent functional units. For example, the carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) Life module gives the car an extremely lightweight passenger cell, while the Drive modules – made primarily from aluminum components – bring together all the car’s operational driving functions, such as the powertrain, chassis and safety structure. Impressively extensive use of high-tech materials allows this innovative concept to chart new territory in terms of weight minimization, structural rigidity and crash safety. This is good news not only for the car’s dynamic performance, but also for its range and fuel economy. Intelligent lightweight design, encompassing the use of innovative materials, has allowed the unavoidable additional weight of the high-output hybrid drivetrain to be cancelled out in full. Plus, the LifeDrive architecture has been carefully adapted to the sports car character of the BMW i8 Concept Spyder. The front and rear axle modules are connected by an “energy tunnel”, which houses the hybrid battery. This allows the engineers to give the car a low centre of gravity and ideal balance.

The car is chock-full of new BMW technology, from the iPhone-enabled finders that pinpoint charging stations and parking spots to 3D console screens and high-sensitivity monitoring systems that alert drivers to precisely how much power the car is using. Sport mode and eco-mode are other drive options.

As you can see from the photos, the car features an aggressive, progressive design with verticle-hinged windowless doors and seats for two–this in contrast to the 2+2 seating we saw in the i8 coupe last year.

The BMW i8 Concept Spyder is also slightly shorter across the wheelbase and overall length than its predecessor.

Set to be produced at BMW’s Leipzig factory in Germany from the third quarter of 2014 onward, the i8 Spyder is destined to follow the i8 coupe to showrooms in 2014.

The two auto giants will try to increase the performance and capacity of lithium-ion battery cells through the use of new combinations of materials for cathodes, anodes and electrolytes.

In addition to the collaborative research agreement between BMW Group and Toyota Motor Corp., Toyota Motor Europe and BMW Group entered into a contract—also announced on December 1, 2011—under which BMW Group is to supply highly efficient 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter diesel engines to Toyota Motor Europe starting in 2014.

Under the agreement, the two companies agreed on a collaborative research in the field of next-generation lithium-ion battery technologies. Furthermore, they have agreed to identify and discuss other possible collaborative projects.

In addition, Toyota Motor Europe, Toyota’s European subsidiary, and BMW Group have entered into a contract under which BMW Group is to supply 1.6 liter and 2.0 liter diesel engines to TME starting in 2014. The engines will be installed in certain Toyota-produced vehicles planned for sale in the European market. Through this agreement, Toyota plans to expand its European lineup and sales of fuel-efficient, low CO2-emission diesel-powered vehicles.

The tie-up in diesel technology would represent a reversal in Toyota’s strategy after it scrapped plans two years ago to develop 1.6-liter diesel engines with Japanese truck maker Isuzu Motors Ltd, in which it owns a 5.9 percent stake.

Marking the announcement, Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, said: “Toyota is the leading provider of environment-friendly series technology in the volume segment and the BMW Group is the most innovative and sustainable manufacturer of premium automobiles. We are now joining forces to further develop environment-friendly technologies and to expand our innovation leadership in each of our segments. Supplying Toyota with our fuel efficient and dynamic diesel engines represents another important step in the planned expansion of our sales activities for engines and powertrain systems.”

Representing TMC, President Akio Toyoda said: “It is a great joy and a thrill to enter into this mid-to-long-term collaborative relationship with BMW, a company with its own culture and history from its many years of car manufacturing in Europe, and a company that makes cars that are fun to drive. In the spirit of contributing to furthering the development of the auto industry and society, both companies will bring their wide-ranging knowledge – starting with that concerning environmental technologies – to the table and make ever-better cars.

With the acquisition, BMW aims to strengthen its focus on lightweight construction and the use of carbon fibre reinforced plastics or CFRP in automobile manufacture.

BMW didn’t disclose the financial details of the transaction and said that it’s not seeking a seat on SGL’s supervisory board.

BMW is a second German automaker in nine months to invest in the world’s largest maker of carbon and graphite products, strategic materials for the car industry. Volkswagen AG announced it bought an 8.2 percent stake in SGL in March.

The BMW Group and the SGL Group already operate a joint venture. The SGL Group holds 51% and the BMW Group 49 % of shares in the joint company, SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers.

The two partners have built a new state-of-the-art carbon fibre manufacturing plant together in Moses Lake in Washington State in the U.S. The new plant plays an important part in the two companies’ strategy to automate the production of ultra-light carbon fibre reinforced plastics (CFRPs) for use in future vehicle concepts.

The carbon fibres produced in Moses Lake are being processed at facilities in Wackersdorf and Landshut. Wackersdorf delivers textile fabrics made from carbon fibres, which are then being processed at the BMW plant in Landshut to make lightweight CFRP body components for the BMW i3 and BMW i8. Both vehicles will be assembled at the BMW plant in Leipzig.

The BMW i3, the BMW Group’s first series-produced electric vehicle, will be released on the market in 2013, followed by the BMW i8 sports car shortly afterwards.

The work is part of the Modellregion Elektromobilität München – Drive eCharged project being funded by Germany’s Ministry of Transport, Building, and Urban Development.

The partners’ goal with the project is to establish their charging concept as an international standard. The system utilizes plugs standardized for AC charging that have been modified to accommodate DC charging. Until now, electric vehicles that can be charged with either AC or DC needed to use two different sockets. The project partners recently presented a prototype of the new charging system in the Transportation section of the Deutsches Museum in Munich.

Charging times and vehicle range are key aspects that influence consumer acceptance of electric cars. Today’s batteries have to be recharged more often than a conventional vehicle needs to be refueled, and the recharging process also takes several hours when a conventional socket is used. Charging times of half an hour or less can be achieved with DC technology, however. Unlike AC systems, with DC technology the power converter is located outside the vehicle at the charging station, which means the cars that use it can be made lighter. This, in turn, increases vehicle range, and combined with short charging times it therefore makes electric vehicles more attractive to fleet operators.

Special charging units are required for this system, however, which is why the Drive eCharged partners have developed a user-friendly approach that offers several advantages over the systems now in use. For example, AC and DC plugs fit into the same socket on the vehicle. The new approach also standardizes communication between the vehicle and charging station for AC and DC operations, which means it will be able to support additional functions like smart charging or bi-directional charging for both charging modes in the future. Over the medium term, it is expected that DC systems will be able to charge a vehicle to the equivalent of a 100-kilometer (62 miles) range in just 15 minutes.

The new system was successfully tested in September 2011 with a Siemens charging station and a BMW ActiveE electric car, and Siemens and BMW have already submitted proposals for standardizing DC charging to the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC). The two companies are planning to continue this work on standardization.

The new facility is strategic for the manufacture of ultra light-weight carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) for use in the new BMW i electric vehicles.

The two parent companies will invest approximately $100 million in their Moses Lake plant and create 80 new local jobs until 2013. In order to prepare the large scale production start of BMW i vehicles in 2013 it is important to start the carbon fiber manufacturing now. All electricity needed for the production of carbon fibers will come from readily available clean and renewable local hydropower.

Thanks to the emission-free drivetrain and a value added chain designed to be sustainable all along the line, life cycle emission figures for the BMW i3 are at least a third lower than for a highly efficient combustion-engine car. If the BMW i3 is run on electricity from renewable sources, the figures improve by well over 50%.

Carbon fiber technology will fundamentally change the car industry, becoming increasingly important in the quest for lighter-weight materials to reduce fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions. With the new SGL Automotive Carbon Fibers plant in Moses Lake, BMW Group and SGL Group are proving that sustainable innovations will provide for a cleaner individual mobility of the future.

BMW is not alone in the race to make carbon fiber vehicles easily available to consumers. In January, Daimler followed BMW’s lead by forming a partnership with Toray Industries, a Japanese carbon producer. The group plans to begin mass production of carbon parts for the Mercedes-Benz brand in 2012 at a plant outside Stuttgart, Germany.

BMW will supply a four-cylinder turbocharged engine for the next generation of Fisker cars, code-named ‘Project Nina’, which are scheduled to go into production in the re-commissioned former GM plant in Wilmington, Delaware at the end of 2012 and be on sale globally in 2013.

The agreement calls for up to 100,000 engine units per year at peak volume.

The first ‘Project Nina’ derivative will be a mid-size premium sedan utilizing Fisker’s EVer (electric vehicle with extended range) technology to deliver on Fisker’s corporate vision of Uncompromised Responsible Luxury.

California-based Fisker Automotive recently established a European office in Munich, Germany and has publicly stated that both the Fisker Karma Sedan and ‘Project Nina’ lines are global vehicles with sales likely to be split equally in the US and Europe (40% each), with Asia (20%) providing the remainder.

Unveiled for the first time, these concept vehicles provide a glimpse of the first electrically powered production cars from the new BMW i sub-brand, due to be launched as the BMW i3 in 2013 and the BMW i8 in 2014.

BMW is planning to take its new subbrand public in September at the Frankfurt Motor Show, where the diminutive i3 and more sporting two-plus-two i8 will be revealed in concept guise for the first time.

BMW i3 Concept
With its zero-emission electric drive and a range of approximately 150 kilometers (93 miles), the BMW i3 Concept has been specifically developed for use in an urban environment, its dynamic 125 kW electric motor and rear-wheel drive ensuring BMW-style dynamic handling. Thanks to its innovative LifeDrive architecture featuring a carbon passenger cell, the BMW i3 Concept combines an extremely low weight of 1,250 kilograms with optimal interior space and the highest crash safety levels. With four seats and a 200-liter luggage compartment, this vehicle is fully suited for everyday use.

The application of this new CFRP technology allows a weight reduction, compared to a conventional electric car, of between 250 and 350 kilos, and that means more dynamic handling coupled with a greater range. The BMW i3 does the 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint in less than eight seconds, while a high-speed charger achieves an 80% battery charge in just an hour.

Thanks to the emission-free drivetrain and a value added chain designed to be sustainable all along the line, life cycle emission figures for the BMW i3 are at least a third lower than for a highly efficient combustion-engine car. If the BMW i3 is run on electricity from renewable sources, the figures improve by well over 50%.

BMW i8 Concept: new-generation sports car

The BMW i8 Concept goes from 0 to 100 km/h (0-62 mph) in less than five seconds and boasts fuel consumption of under three liters per 100 km. Its plug-in hybrid drive with a system output of 260 kW allows a range of up to 35 kilometers (21.7 miles) in electric mode – sufficient for most everyday journeys. For more dynamic driving or out-of-town routes, a high-performance three-liter petrol engine also comes into play. The sports car has an electronically governed top speed of 250 km/h and space for up to four occupants.

Both the BMW i3 and the BMW i8 will be built at BMW’s Leipzig plant in Germany. Some 400 million euros are earmarked for investment in new buildings and facilities by 2013, while 800 new jobs are to be created. Vehicle production will be CO2 neutral and will draw on renewable resources. The company is currently investigating the possibility of erecting its own wind turbines on the plant site.

The charging stations will be located in the Boston metropolitan area, primarily within the Route 495 Beltway.

Drivers of the BMW ActiveE will be able to conveniently and safely recharge their electric vehicle at any ChargePoint Network-enabled electric vehicle charging station in the US. Drivers have access to the ChargePoint Network’s 24/7 driver support and mobile phone applications, which include station location and real-time availability, turn-by-turn navigation, and charging status.

The BMW ActiveE is the BMW Group’s next step towards an emission-free, mass-produced electric vehicle. Within the framework of project i, the BMW Group has been carrying out research and development work on the development of electrically powered vehicles. The ultimate goal is the concept of a Megacity Vehicle, the BMW i3 that meets the demands of a sustainable mobility solution for congested urban areas. For this reason, the drive components and battery technology that will be used in the i3 are being tested in the BMW ActiveE.

Ongoing field tests involving more than 600 MINI E cars, including 450 in the US, have already provided vital knowledge about the demands on future electrically powered production vehicles. A fleet of over 1000 BMW ActiveE vehicles will provide further valuable insights into the everyday use of the vehicle. The findings will serve to deepen the knowledge already gained on the everyday use of electric vehicles and to learn more about customer requirements. The feedback from customers testing the MINI E and the BMW ActiveE will be fed directly into series production of the i3, which is scheduled to launching under the i Brand in 2013.