The electric BMW 1-series 'ActiveE' has been officially unveiled to the public at the Detroit motor show.
Following on from the MiniE that PH drove last year, the plug-in ActiveE is the second fruit of BMW's 'project i' electric car initiative.
Like the MiniE, the ActiveE will also find its way to the public roads, albeit as a lease-only product for selected customers. In the UK, that's likely to include the 2012 London Olympics, as BMW was recently awarded the contract to supply official cars for the event.
The car itself is a full four-seater (unlike the electric mini, whose batteries go where the rear seats ought to be), with two separate battery packs under the boot floor and in the 'engine' bay.
As befits a proper BMW, the ActiveE is also rear-wheel drive and can muster 168bhp and 184lb ft of torque - enough to get from rest to 62mph in less than nine seconds. The range, says BMW, is around 100 miles.
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