When
US Person first saw a BMW "Bubble Car" on the road as a boy in Europe, he was immediately charmed by it. So small and spritely it fit in seemingly impossible parking spaces on lanes made for pedestrians and horses. If he had been of driving age, he would have bought an Isetta. Instead, to satisfy his boyhood desire for a microcar he later bought and drove a Mini during his stay in New Zealand. In Britain, the Isetta
[photo] was manufactured beginning in 1957 under license and was not popular until the original four wheeled version was replaced with three wheels allowing postwar Britons to avoid high
socialist road taxes. The single cylinder 300cc was designed by German engineers to give the Isetta decent road handling capabilities and still allow it to be classed with motorcycles for tax purposes. Huge gas mileage was an afterthought and emissions not an issue.
Fuel efficiency and low emissions are now important in the age of global warming. BMW has brought its heritage of microcars into the present day by plugging them into an electric circuit. The Bavarian manufacturer unveiled its new BMW i3 series in simultaneous ceremonies at New York, Beijing and London. The venues show where the i3 is intended to be efficiently used--dense urban megacenters. The electric vehicle's range of 80 to 100 miles before charging is not a problem there, and even if it were, the anxious can purchase the i3 with an optional 650cc two cylinder generator that doubles the vehicle's range. First and foremost, the i3 is an electric car designed from the bottom up to be clean, lightweight and energy efficient. Its passenger module is completely plastic reinforced with carbon fiber, the first mass produced in the auto industry. The drive module entirely below the cabin is all aluminum and houses the mechanical and electrical systems, including batteries. Batteries are cooled keeping them at optimal operating temperature to boost performance and extend their life. Charging is shortened to three hours with a 220V, 32 amp charger and can be reduced to just 30 minutes with an optional DC charger. BMW will even send a technician to your garage to install a charger for you. The 2700 pound result of all these innovations is a sustainable, personal urban transport vehicle even cuter than the Bubble Car and without the fumes!
