Overview

The BMW i is a sub-brand of BMW founded in 2009 to design and manufacture plug-in electric vehicles. BMW's "Project i" is a program created to develop lightweight eco-friendly urban electric car concepts designed to address the mobility and sustainability needs for people who live in megacities. Concept versions of both the i3 and i8 were shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.

The BMW Vision ConnectedDrive concept shown in 2001 at the Geneva International Motor Show would evolve into the series production infotainment system through this multi-year project.

Background

The i3 and i8 vision, concept and production vehicles used fully digital displays which would give the design team maximum design flexibility accompanied by challenges. This was a departure from the typical analog displays that BMW used.

BMW uses a '2 eye' or a '4 eye' configuration which has become a brand signature.

INSTRUMENT CLUSTER

'2 EYE'  LAYOUT

'4 EYE'  LAYOUT

CENTER DISPLAY

i3 UI Concept

For the program, the two vehicles would share the center displays, but require their own instrument cluster and climate control display designs. The i3 driver display UI was reduced to reflect the minimal aesthetic of the interior design. 

i3 VISION INSTRUMENT CLUSTER

i3 VISION CENTER DISPLAY

i3 VISION CLIMATE CONTROL

i3 DRIVING MODE ANIMATION

i3 CHARGING ANIMATION

i8 UI Concept

The i8 had two full size digital displays, which included a full size wider instrument cluster. The larger size allowed for more complex animations and dramatic designs tailored for the 'Eco' and 'Sport' driving modes. While keeping in step with BMW circular instrument tradition, we created instruments that used 3D geometry and animations only made possible with digital LCD displays.

i8 VISION INSTRUMENTS - ECO PRO MODE

i8 VISION INSTRUMENTS - SPORT MODE

i8 VISION CENTER DISPLAY

Output

Our final delivery was two sets of UI narratives for each concept car. For the i3, the narrative centered around the car's use case and the user's journey in the 'mega-city'. For the i8, the car was intended to go from the city to the countryside, displaying the versatility of efficiency and sportiness of the car. The cars were revealed to the world at the Geneva Auto show by BMW in 2011.

The next step for BMW's EV journey was to bring the i3 and i8 to series production.

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