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Watch the BMW i3 being built from start to finish. Part 2: e-transmission assembly, electric engine construction, cockpit and dashboard moulding.

The stator, which forms the inner core of the motor, consists of around two kilometres of wound copper wire. Unlike other electric motors in the same power class, the motor of the BMW i3 is very small and compact due to the specially configured winding of the copper wiring. This results in further weight and space savings. Before the rotor is fitted in the interior housing, it receives a thin coating of resin.

Daimler and BMW – and, to a lesser extent, Volkswagen, Nissan, Renault and Ford – are already ahead of the game in recognising that it will now be sustainable for increasing numbers of single occupancy cars to pour into already congested cities on a daily basis as they do now. BMW's alternative powertrain sub-brand, i – due to be launched later this year – addresses this with a full suite of mobility options, and while Daimler has not formed a separate division in which to wrap the work it is doing, it is starting to move well beyond the traditional role of car manufacturer andretailer.

Back in 2011 the five premier German car manufacturers, Audi, BMW, Daimler, Porsche and Volkswagen, announced their agreement to jointly incorporate a variety of architectural components for on-board power networks into their vehicles. The five OEM’s expressed their intention to implement a 48-volt power supply, and appealed to suppliers to actively engage in research and development of components for vehicles with a 48-volt electric system.

Conventional DC fast chargers are large and bulky, and come at a prohibitive cost. The BMW i DC fast charger represents a significant step as it is much smaller and lighter, weighing around 100 pounds, and can be mounted on a wall – a first for EV DC fast chargers.