BMW is continuing its extended testing of the all-new i3 ‘Mega City Vehicle’ with 12 months left before the expected showroom debut.
These shots also give the first clues as to the form of the interior, with its minimalist dashboard and extended steering column. This prototype also shows that the small screen directly in front of the driver has been carried through to production.
The photograph from the right of the cabin shows the large, central flatscreen, which also appeared in the i3 concept. It also seems that the production i3 will have reverse-opening rear doors, although it appears to have conventional B-pillars.
These pictures clearly show the height of the cabin floor. The i3 is built on a separate aluminium chassis with a carbonfibre reinforced bodyshell sitting on top.
The void under the floor, between the chassis’s outer rails, is used to store the car’s battery packs. The i3 will be available as a pure battery-driven electric vehicle or with a small range-extender engine/generator to provide electrical power when the battery pack is exhausted.
Unlike the its sister car, the i8 sports car, the i3 will probably not use the new UK-built three-cylinder engine as a generator. Some rumours suggest it will get a nose-mounted two-cylinder engine/generator, possibly based on a BMW motorcycle engine.
