“The decision is a major milestone along the way to serial production of the Megacity Vehicle. The battery is a key component in any electric vehicle - it determines the range and performance of the car. With SB LiMotive we have selected a supplier who offers the best available technology, combining leading German automotive expertise with future-oriented Korean battery know-how,” Norbert Reithofer, BMW chairman of the board said in a release.
SB LiMotive is a joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI. The venture will take note in their research of the performances achieved by BMW with the MINI E. The goal is to create a battery pack to be integrated in the next project of BMW's Project i, the so called Megacity vehicle.
“In this collaborative effort, three global technology leaders are coming together to shape the future of the electric vehicle. With our SB LiMotive joint venture as a supplier for the Megacity Vehicle’s battery cells, we are sure that we can play a major role here,” Franz Fehrenbach Robert Bosch chairman of the board added.
As for the Megacity vehicle itself, little is know at this point. According to BMW, this vehicle will be the first of an entire range of near-zero emission vehicles and will come with a choice of a full-electric drive and a high efficiency combustion engine.
BMW gives a vague timeframe when we can hope to see their first EV. According to their release, the "zero-emissions vehicle will go into serial production in the first half of the next decade."
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