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BMW unveils i3 electric car in NYC (pictures)

BMW worked for five years to develop its i3 electric car, along the way pioneering new carbon fiber production processes. The i3 was unveiled at a special event in New York.

Wayne Cunningham
Wayne Cunningham reviews cars and writes about automotive technology for CNET's Roadshow. Prior to the automotive beat, he covered spyware, Web building technologies, and computer hardware. He began covering technology and the Web in 1994 as an editor of The Net magazine.
Wayne Cunningham
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1 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
During a press event in New York, BMW took the wraps off its i3 electric car. The company has been developing the car over the last five years with the vision that it would represent the future of urban mobility.
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2 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
BMW maintains its signature kidney grille, even though the car does not have a traditional radiator. The front looks chunkier than conventional BMWs, with the thick bumper and grille suggesting a higher stance than a typical hatchback.
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3 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
The i3 is a five-door hatchback, although the rear side doors, which are rear-hinged, are very short. It looks like they can only be opened after the front doors are opened.
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4 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
A hatchback contributes to the i3's basic utility. And, of course, there is no exhaust pipe in the rear. However, BMW says it will offer versions with a range-extender engine.
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5 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
The body is made from carbon fiber-reinforced plastics, which are much lighter than steel yet still offer strength for passenger safety.
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6 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
The high stance of the i3 makes it look like a small crossover, similar to the Ford C-Max.
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7 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
Adhering to the lyric that "children are our future," BMW brought a young girl onto the stage to push the button that pulled the cover off the i3.
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8 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
With an electric motor at the rear wheels, the space under the hood will be reserved for power-management electronics and possibly some of the battery cells.
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9 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
Rear-wheel drive may give the car an edge over the competition, which is largely front-wheel-driven.
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10 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
BMW places the charging port at the right rear, which is inconvenient as most electric charging stations are at the front of parking spaces. Drivers will have to back into spaces or stretch the charging cable down the side of the car.
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11 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
BMW says the i3's 22-kilowatt-hour lithium ion battery pack will charge in about 5 hours from a 240-volt source, or 30 minutes at a DC fast-charging station.
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12 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
Zero-to-62 mph comes in at 7.2 seconds, respectable acceleration but not remarkable. Top speed is electronically limited to 93 mph.
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13 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
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14 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
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15 of 18 Sarah Tew / CNET
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16 of 18 BMW
One of the i3's selling points has to be its premium interior.
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Instead of embedding an instrument cluster in the dashboard, BMW takes a cleaner approach with this stand-up LCD.
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18 of 18 BMW
The menu on the main cabin LCD will look familiar to owners of current BMWs equipped with iDrive.

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