Sienna Miller and James Franco celebrate the world premiere of the BMW i3. Spectacular launch of the BMW Group’s first all-electric series production vehicle in London.

New York / London / Beijing. Three cities. Three continents. One world premiere. Yesterday, Monday 29 July 2013, saw the simultaneous ceremonial unveiling of the BMW i3 in London, New York and Beijing. The first premium car to be purpose-designed as an all-electric vehicle was revealed to the public for the first time by six BMW Group board members in the various metropolises.
The highlight of the London event came after the formal unveiling of the BMW i3 when the BMW Group hosted a launch party at Old Billingsgate Market. Some 600 people joined the BMW Group and star guests Sienna Miller and James Franco to celebrate the debut of the BMW i3. The actors were clearly impressed by the vehicle’s electric drive system and its consistent approach to sustainabitility in its design: “Being a new mother I am very passionate about making green changes in my life to leave a better world for the next generation. 100% electric as well as stylish is something brand new which no one else offers making the BMW i3 the perfect city car for me”, so Sienna Miller. James Franco was equally taken with the BMW i3: “As a champion of art and design I love the way BMW has managed to combine style, functionality and technology. This car makes being green cool, which is really important.”

Good morning New York. Hello london. Good evening Beijing.
Compact, agile, sustainable: the BMW i3 represents the intelligent choice of transportation for conurbations. To reflect this, the BMW Group invited board members to three megacities, where they simultaneously gave the starting signal for a new era of mobility. Along with designers Adrian van Hooydonk, Benoit Jacob and Daniel Starke, they also gave invited guests an insight into the car’s design and solutions for sustainable mobility in the future.  

New York, local time  8.30 hrs.

Launch of the BMW i3 at Center 548 by:

-         Dr.  Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG

-         Peter Schwarzenbauer, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, MINI, BMW Motorrad, Rolls-Royce, Aftersales BMW Group

-         Adrian van Hooydonk, Senior Vice President BMW Group Design

London, local time 13.30 hrs.

Launch of the BMW i3 at Old Billingsgate Market by:

-         Dr. Ian Robertson (HonDSc), Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW, Sales Channels BMW Group

-         Dr. Herbert Diess, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Development

-         Benoit Jacob, Head of Design BMW i

Beijing, local time 20.30 hrs.

Launch of the BMW i3 at The Workshop by:

-         Dr. Friedrich Eichiner, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance

-         Harald Krüger, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Production

-         Daniel Starke, Head of Interior Design BMW i

Launch party for the BMW i3 with star line-up at Old Billingsgate Market.
Alongside renowned screen stars Sienna Miller and James Franco, the London launch party attracted numerous international celebrities to Old Billingsgate Market – among them supermodel Poppy Delevingne and Ben Hudson, lead singer of the Britpop band Mr Hudson. Other guests included actress Laura Bailey as well as It-Girl and model Peaches Geldorf. Manning the DJ decks to provide the musical entertainment were “in” model Amber Le Bon, daughter of 80s supermodel Yasmin Le Bon and Duran Duran singer Simon Le Bon,  along with Guinness heir and “it” boy Jack Guinness.

About BMW i.
BMW i stands for visionary vehicles and mobility services, inspirational design and a new interpretation of premium that is strongly defined by sustainability across the entire value chain. With BMW i, the BMW Group redefines the concept of individual mobility. The BMW i3 is the world’s first premium car designed from the ground up to be powered by an electric drive system with revolutionary lightweight construction. The result is hallmark BMW driving pleasure in undiluted form, delivered with zero emissions and an engaging intensity unmatched by any electrically powered vehicle.

The BMW i3 will be available to customers in Germany in November 2013 at a base price of 34,950 EUR.