MNN - Mother Nature Network

Thus far, BMW hasn't had a whole lot to brag about when it comes to green cars. (There was that ActiveHybrid X6 Crossover, but it was super-expensive and not particularly efficient for all that cash).

 

But that's about to change with the introduction of the new iSeries set to debut in late 2012 (for the 2013 model year). There's the i3 (an all-electric vehicle), which is designed to be part of an urban landscape, and the hot-looking i8 (a plug-in hybrid), which is a sportscar, through and through. I'm really looking forward to driving them when they are released for review, as they are the kind of car I've been waiting for — great-looking, green and performance-oriented.

 

I got a chance to talk to the head designer for the iSeries, Benoit Jacob, when he came to NYC recently as part of the city-to-city thinkfest, the BMW Guggenheim Lab (I got to sit in on a panel on Resilience in Cities after my interview; it's worth the time to catch some programs if they are coming to a city near you). He told me about the plethora of natural materials used in the new iSeries, and in the video below, he highlights some of the most important features.