German carmaker BMW has unveiled two new models to launch its electricmotoring division BMWi.

The i3 is an all-electric small city car, while the i8, a powerful sportscar, combines an electric motor with a three-cylinder combustion engine.

To reduce weight, the cars have been constructed with light-weight aluminiumunder structures and bodies made from strong and light carbon fibre.

That means their batteries can be smaller without compromising on range.

"We wanted to show the carbon fibre in the raw," Ian Robertson, group salesand marketing director, said in an interview.

German jobs

The i3 city car, which will hit the road in 2013, will have a range of 150km(95 miles) on one charge.

Both the batteries and the motor lie below the floor of the car, whichmaximises space inside. The car seats four and has a 200-litre luggagespace.

The less spacious but more aerodynamic i8 sportscar is a prototype, though aproduction version will go on sale in 2014. Its electrics-only range is morelimited, at only 35km.

BMW will create 800 jobs at its Leipzig factory in Germany, where the carswill be built.

Flexible production

BMW is cautious about predicting how strong demand for electric cars will bein the future.

"We will make tens of thousands of these vehicles during the first fewyears," is all Mr Robertson is prepared to say at this stage.

Much depends on regulation, which is beyond the company's control, heinsisted, such as in cities where many expect authorities to restrict access forcars that pollute.

However, the relatively simple production process for its BMWi models, whichdoes not involve a press shop or a welding shop and keeps paintwork to aminimum, means "it is much easier to ramp up production than with conventionalproduction", Mr Robertson insists.

BMW is hoping to launch several more similar models in the years to come, andas a number of other carmakers are thinking along the same lines, we can expectlight-weight carbon-fibre cars to become a prominent part of electric motoringin the future.

Volkswagen, for instance, recently unveiled a model it calls XL1, which seatstwo adults, combines a 0.8 litre two cylinder diesel engine with an electricmotor.

The car is constructed around a carbon fibre reinforced polymer monocoque toreduce the weight dramatically when compared with conventional cars. A monocoquedesign doesn't use an internal frame or chassis.

McLaren's recently launched sportscar, MP4-12C also uses carbon fibre toreduce its weight. The car is built around a single carbon fibre monocoque.