After what seems like years of vague pronouncements from Munich about its future mobility efforts, BMW's Megacity Vehicle is finally taking shape, as evidenced by these first official sketches of the automaker's coming electric-powered city car, which BMW says will hit production sometime in 2013.
If the sketches are any indication, BMW looks to be cooking up a sharp-looking coupe that dare we say actually looks pretty good in the drawings. Of course, the design is meant to optimize efficiency in an effort to further boost the EV's overall range, which is expected come in somewhere around 100 miles to a charge.
Part of BMW's Project i initiative, the Megacity (its final name is still unclear) reportedly employs a lithium-ion battery pack with roughly 35 kWh of capacity, mounted below the floor of the car. The battery delivers the juice to a 150 horsepower electric motor driving the rear wheels. Top speed will reportedly be limited to 95 mph.
BMW is positioning the Megacity as one of several vehicles it plans to market under a sub-brand along the lines of its M division, and has designs on developing powertrains other than full EV for the lineup, such as an extended range system along the lines of the Volt. While plans for the U.S. are unclear, we expect to see one or more of the vehicles eventually make it here, with premium pricing befitting a BMW. A Megacity concept car is expected to appear on the BMW stand at the 2011 Frankfurt auto show.
