To tie in with the Olympics, BMW has opened its first showroom for electric cars in London’s Park Lane. It is exhibiting the i3 electric hatchback (a competitor for the Nissan Leaf) and the BMW i8, the £100,000 plug-in hybrid. We say “exhibiting” because the cars do not go on sale until the end of 2013.

However, BMW feels that with 160 electric BMWs and 40 electric Minis on the Olympic fleet, it is the right time to introduce the cars to the public.The i3 will have a range of approximately 100 miles and is expected to cost in the region of £30,000 – £35,000 after the £5,000 government subsidy. BMW is positioning it as an upmarket alternative to the Nissan Leaf and it certainly looks like a premium product, especially on the inside. BMW says the i3 on show is the concept vehicle, but the production car will be “80%-85%” the same.