The BMW i8 concept and i3 concept vehicles join the long list of BMWs making their public debuts at the Frankfurt IAA. The i8 electric hybrid sports car will launch in 2014 and the i3 electric vehicle launches earlier, in 2013.

P.S., if you look closely, you’ll see that this particular i8 concept vehicle has some early form of the recently announced laser headlight technology.

Cars.com recently caught the BMW i8 and i3 concept cars on the streets of Chicago, in the first real life public street pics spotting of BMW’s recently revealed EV and hybrid-electric concept cars.

We’ve uploaded all BMW i3 videos available so far, including some great features on its architecture, information display, and battery technology.

A new chapter in driving efficiency+performance was kicked off this morning in Frankfurt Germany as the BMW i8 and i3 concept cars were revealed and introduced. For official details and media on the i8 and i3 see our official threads.

Courtesy of Motorauthority, here are some live photos of the i8 concept and i3 concept, from the Frankfurt unveiling.

The BMW i3 Concept city vehicle has debuted this morning at Frankfurt. The all electric vehicle boasts efficiency, technology, and performance. It outputs 125kw, 250Nm and runs from 0-60 kph in 3.9 seconds and 0-100 kph in 7.9 seconds. Its batteries charge in 6 hours using standard socket and just 1 hour of recharge provides around 80% of battery capacity using high a capacity charger. Its range is 150km. Full details, press release, wallpapers, and videos inside.

Now that spyshots of the BMW i3 have been plenty, it’s not difficult to imagine what the production i3 will resemble. That’s what Car and Driver’s artist has done here, in this render of an i3 which they call “Scion xD meets the scoundrel pigs from Angry Birds.”

The render is easily believable, based on current spy photos and the original Megacity render released by BMW (posted below for reference).

Despite being an all electric vehicle, the BMW i3 will have sporty intentions. It’s been confirmed to be RWD and “mid-engined” and has all along been advertised as using extensive use of carbon fiber to keep its weight down while maintaining structural rigidity. It will be the world’s first volume production car made of lightweight carbon fiber and … CONTINUED

Autoblog’s Damon Lavrinc has confirmed what many had figured out from the i3 spy videos, that the 2013 i3 will be rear wheel drive and “mid-engine”. The BMW i3 is BMWs first forray into a mass production electric vehicle, mainly geared towards large cities, as its original name implies (Mega City Vehicle). Thats not to say its the first EV from BMW, as they have already been learning alot from the MINIe and BMW 1-Series ActiveE, this car simply represents the next step– smaller packaging and larger industries of scale.

The BMW i3 itself is the world’s first volume production car made of lightweight carbon fiber and is to be built in Leipzig. BMW expects to have the cars produced in “Significant volumes” by 2013, targeting 30,000 … CONTINUED

BMW just announced its new sub-brand - the BMW i. The first two cars of the new brand will be the BMW i3 and the BMW i8. The i3 is the production version of the Mega City Vehicle, the i8 the production version of the Vision Efficient Dynamics. Both cars will be built at the Leipzig Plant. The i3 launches in 2013, the i8 shortly after.

Saturday evening saw the launch of teaser communications for the new BMW sub-brand. Light installations and video projections illuminated BMW Group buildings around the Petuelring road in the north of Munich. The four-cylinder building, BMW Welt and BMW Museum were bathed in the colours of BMW i.

The new BMW sub-brand itself was launched at today’s press conference in the BMW Welt. The print campaign for BMW i will initially feature two motifs.

As of Tuesday, a giant poster at the Munich Opera house and on other squares around the city of Munich will present the world of BMW i to the public.

The new brand’s affiliation with its parent brand, BMW, is clearly recognisable, thanks to the design cues taken from BMW’s Corporate Identity. However, in terms of … CONTINUED