Winning start: BMW i3 garners World Car Design of the Year and World Green Car awards

Double triumph for the first all-electric production vehicle from BMW i. Jury lauds the individual design and innovative overall concept of the BMW i3.

Munich/New York. With its all-electric BMW i3, the BMW Group has successfully brought to market the world’s first premium automobile conceived from the ground up for zero-emission mobility. Against the backdrop of the New York International Auto Show, the BMW i3 earned two of the most prestigious international awards soon after its market launch: the World Car Design of the Year Award 2014 and the World Green Car Award 2014.

“Right from the development stage, the BMW i3 is a thoroughly sustainable vehicle designed for the requirements of the 21st century,” said Dr Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW. “Our designers created a car that, through its design and use of sustainable materials, is an expression of the future.”

This year saw 28 contenders lining up for the World Car Design of the Year competition. A high-calibre panel of design experts ultimately presented a short list of three finalists to the 69-strong overall jury. Of these, the BMW i3 emerged as the winner. The jury said of its choice: “In its design the BMW i3 suggests both roominess and efficiency – yet it is at first glance a genuine BMW. The interior is surprising and attractive, almost like a modern living room. This represents a radical leap in interior design. Beyond this, the BMW designers have succeeded in imbuing the new sub-brand with its very own character.”

In addition to this prestigious design award, the BMW i3 also earned the accolade World Green Car 2014. Out of 14 contestants, three made it to the final. The judges explained their winning choice as follows: “The BMW i3 is one of very few clean-sheet-of-paper cars designed from the ground up with efficiency in mind. Radical in looks, construction and powertrain, it is purpose-built with the world’s megacities in mind. The BMW i3 pushes boundaries on many fronts.”

The BMW Group already won the World Green Car of the Year award in 2008 For its BMW EfficientDynamics development strategy in the BMW 118d.