BMW will enter the motorised scooter and electric bike markets within the next year as part of its London 2012 sponsorship, a tie-up that will also see UK buyers offered a hybrid BMW 5-series for the first time.
Like the scooter and electric bike, the BMW 5-series ActiveHybrid will form part of BMW's Olympic Games fleet of 4000 vehicles. BMW will offer UK buyers right-hand drive examples of the ActiveHybrid later in 2012 in low volumes; European buyers will get left-hand drive models earlier in the year.
The electric bike, called BMW Pedelec, seen here as a prototype, has a powered top speed of 18mph, although this can be increased by pedalling. It can be folded up and is designed to be portable so it can be transported easily around London on the tube.
Read more on BMW's London 2012 sponsorship
"We see this as a growing market, and as well as having 200 in use at the Games, we will take them to market," said BMW marketing boss Ian Robertson at a presentation in London this morning.
Other BMWs firming part of the Olympic fleet include the Mini E and BMW 1-series ActiveE electric cars, the BMW 320d EfficientDynamics saloon, BMW 520d EfficientDynamics saloon and the Mini Countryman Cooper D, all of which will also be sold through British dealers.
Read Hilton Holloway's blog: BMW - the ultimate mobility change
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