BMW i3 city car
At CES, BMW showed its idea of how you might turn its i3 city car into an eco-conscious luxury ride-hailing device. With the i3 Urban Suite, BMW left the driver’s seat and dashboard but transformed everything else in the car, to give it “the relaxed feel of a boutique hotel.”
BMW says that it’s used recycled materials for the upholstery, certified wood, and olive-tanned leather, and “circular economy” floor mats that are made of recyclable materials yet designed to be recycled at the end of their use. Prior to CES, Byton announced a series of new content partnerships that help clear up what might be shown on the M-Byte electric SUV’s mammoth 48-inch-wide screen.
Byton has been sticking to the $45,000 USD entry price, although that will be for rear-motor versions with the smaller 72-kwh battery; premium models will come with a 402-hp dual-motor setup providing an anticipated WLTP rating of 270 miles—depending on test cycles, likely corresponding to a U.S. EPA range of fewer than 240 miles.
It aims to begin deliveries in Europe and North America by early 2021, after first deliveries in China by mid-year 2020.