BMW Megacity to Sell, as Well as Lease

With the official baptism of the BMW brand's first electric vehicle just around the corner (sources say the model will get its official name on February 21), the halo of information surrounding the Megacity vehicle is growing steadily.

Last week, sources from inside BMW, including Sales Chief Ian Robertson, hinted to the possibility of the vehicle to be sent onto the market only as a lease vehicle, being deployed in a system similar to the Car to Go concept (Daimler's car sharing program).

This week, however, things seem to have changed. According to a BMW spokesman talking to just-auto.com, the Megacity will get the same treatment as any other car.

"It is definitely the case we are not planning to restrict the Megacity to lease model only. It will be offered to individuals as well as fleet customers - you will be able to buy it, lease it or whatever,” the source said.

"It will be offered just like any other series vehicle. We are considering additional distribution channels on top of the usual sales channels, but by no means do we intend to not sell this vehicle."

As for the name of the vehicle, the source declined to comment, saying that the new line will be for BMW, at a corporate level, something like the M division. A few months ago, word of BMW having reserved the I designation for the vehicles surfaced (with the future models to be called something like i1, i2, i3, i4, i5, i6, i7, i8 and i).