BMW's "Project i" group, a self-described think tank, has been working on electric mobility since 2007. One tangible result was the two-seat Mini E, a car that’s to be followed by the electrified BMW 1-series ActiveE, a small fleet of which will be leased this summer. While these are electric versions of existing cars, another focus was put on developing dedicated models. To house these vehicles, BMW has announced a new sub-brand called “BMW i.”

BMW recently launched its "EfficientDynamics" moniker for its most fuel-efficient models, but the i vehicles take a more radical approach to efficiency, and so they will get their own branding. They will be products “for high-class clients,” gushes BMW marketing chief Ian Robertson.

i3 and i8 to Arrive in 2013-ish

Two models will form the foundation for BMW's new sub-brand. The first is dubbed the i3; it was heretofore known as the “megacity vehicle” and will launch in 2013. The second is the i8, the series-production version of the 2009 EfficientDynamics concept. It will launch shortly after the i3. Europe will get the cars first, but the U.S. market will be served as well. Further, BMW has trademarked i1 through i9, as well as e1 through e9, so you can be assured the company plans an entire range of vehicles.

BMW had previously released renderings of the megacity vehicle, and the company allowed us to take a closer look and get a ride in a test mule based on the EfficientDynamics concept last fall. The new brand's motto is "Born Electric,” but while the i3 will be a fully electric car, different powertrain options, such as the addition of a range-extending engine, are within the realm of possibility. The i8, by contrast, will be a plug-in hybrid designed for high performance. It will be an expensive and futuristic two-door coupe, a true halo car way out of the average buyer's price range.

As differently as those two vehicles are positioned, they share a lot of technology under the skin. First is the shared architectural approach of an aluminum chassis combined with a passenger cell made of carbon fiber. BMW calls it the "LifeDrive" architecture. It’s designed to offset a lot of the additional weight from battery packs—BMW says it saves over 650 pounds versus using more conventional construction for the i3.