(November 17, 2013) MUNICH —The BMW i3 will be available in Germany and selected European markets Nov. 16. The first customers from Germany collected their cars from the BMW Welt in Munich a day earlier.

“Today marks a milestone in the history of the BMW Group, as we hand over our first BMW i premium electric vehicle to customers. In doing so, we are bringing sustainable mobility to the roads,” said Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, during presentation of the keys to the first customer.

Over the coming months, the BMW i3 will be introduced in a large number of European markets. In 2014, the BMW i3 will also be launched in the U.S., Japan, China and Korea.

BMW says the BMW i3 appeals to fleet customers as well as retail customers. Electric vehicles offer efficient, sustainable solutions for a complementary mix of drive trains in company fleets. Allianz SE is one of the first BMW i3 fleet customers.

“By integrating E-cards into the Allianz fleet, we are supporting the mobility solutions of today and tomorrow. We want to increase the acceptance of E-cars,” says Oliver Bäte, member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE on the collection of his car. “Currently, already 10% of our management fleet have E-vehicles; this is how we bring the future on to the road. The reactions of staff and clients are all very positive. Driving on electricity is something good – and it’s even fun.”

The BMW Group’s fleet management and leasing specialist, Alphabet, has developed a product called “AlphaElectric” to meet the special requirements of its fleet customers. The first comprehensive E-mobility solution on the market offers smooth integration of electric vehicles into company fleets in just three steps: analysis of the customer’s mobility profile; definition of appropriate charging infrastructure; and the flexible combination of add-on services.