The i3 will be available in North America by early 2014 with a starting price of $41,350 (US)
While any mention of hemp always seems to perk ears, the fact that hemp was used to make parts of the i3 shouldn’t come as a surprise. BMW has been testing and using natural fibers like hemp since the 1990′s, when government pressure to use recyclable materials forced most European car makers to go greener.
Starting out with trunk liners and airbag parts, BMW eventually expanded into making door panels out of hemp. By 2006, hemp panels were used in all of BMW’s 5 series models. Many luxury European car makers – including Mercedes and Audi – now make use of hemp in some form.
The i8 will be the next electric car sold by BMW. The hybrid supercar accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.8 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 250 km/h