BMW recently announced the launch of its new sub-brand, BMW I, for its future electric models, along with a suite of added electronic services. The latter will include features like identifying unoccupied parking spots in your area, details on the latest shows on in theatres you may pass, and a host of other features. The key element, however, will be the new cars.

First up for 2013 is the i8, an electric sports car based on the Vision concept that has been on demonstration tours globally for a year now.

The other car is the i3, a small city car that is based on the MegaCity concept. The car itself has not been shown, apart from initial photos of its subframe. However, an i3 has been caught during the the filming of a BMW-TV production in Scandinavia.

BMW plans to sell up to 30 000 i3s in its first full year of sales in 2014. The official unveiling of the i3 production version along with the i8 hybrid supercar will take place in 2013. Both models will be built at the Leipzig plant and ride on the firm’s “LifeDrive architecture” which has an aluminium chassis and a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell. The i3 is expected to produce well over 130bhp from its electric motors.

First sightings of BMW's new i3 electric model, due for official launch in 2013