BMW’s latest motor might finally convince some that going electric really is the future. The German car firm has just lifted the lid on its new i3, and it features a claimed range of over 550 miles on a single charge. That means owners can drive from London to Loch Ness without stopping. Even when the tank runs dry, rapid charging adds 250 miles back into the battery in the same time it takes to grab a quick cup of coffee. In fact, that boost can take as little as 10 minutes if a fast enough charger is available.

To make battery top ups even less stressful, there’s even an intelligent charging flap that automatically pops open when the car senses it’s about to be refilled.

The incredible range and speedy recharging are all thanks to new battery technology, along with improved aerodynamics and an electric motor on both the front and rear axles.

To increase efficiency and range, the four-door sedan has a completely closed, smooth underbody, and even the wheels cut down on drag.

The i3 follows the recently launched iX3 and is the second model in the new Neue Klasse era of cars, which embodies a contemporary take on the distinctive design from the 60s.

Just like its futuristic sibling, the i3 features a striking appearance with chisled edges and a glowing kidney grille at the front. It even puts on a little light show to welcome owners as they approach for the morning commute.

Hop inside, and things appear just as impressive with the i3 featuring BMW’s clever new Panoramic Vision display, which stretches across the full width of the windscreen and shows data such as range, temperature, and speed.

Owners will also find BMW’s alien-like personal assistant popping up on this Vision panel. It’s powered by Alexa+ and can answer all sorts of queries, along with changing settings and adjusting controls via voice.

A 3D Head-Up Display makes sure your eyes always stay on the road, and even the steering wheel has been redesigned to make it more comfortable and intuitive to use.

Right in the middle of the dashboard is BMW’s Free-Cut Design Central Display, which is equipped with matrix backlight technology for a better visual experience and this screen is now angled three degrees more towards the driver for improved viewing.

Not everyone is a fan of screens, as they can be overly complicated, but BMW thinks it’s solved this thanks to an advanced menu structure with QuickSelect. This offers simpler and intuitive operation via touch.

Another nifty bonus will help anyone who is always losing their keys. The BMW Digital Key Plus now becomes the preferred vehicle key. This means that smartphones and smartwatches from all leading manufacturers (Apple, Samsung, Google) can be easily set up to work as a vehicle key.

Powering all of this tech are four specialised superbrain high-performance computers which control things such as driving dynamics, infotainment, comfort and automated motoring.

These chips offer about 20 times the computing power of previous BMW models.

Along with being smart, BMW is also promising some seriously smooth motoring.

As standard, the BMW i3 has a suspension with stroke-dependent shock absorbers. In addition to the two-joint spring strut front axle, it features a new five-link rear axle as well. Front and rear anti-roll bars with highly preloaded bearings are used for even more dynamic handling and an adaptive M suspension is available as an option in the all-wheel drive BMW i3.

The car’s electric motors are also used for precise control which ensures the new BMW i3 decelerates smoothly without any jerks or braking noise and Soft-Stop brings things to a delicate halt.

There’s no word on pricing or release date just yet, but a UK launch is expected this year.

A total of eleven different exterior colours will be available at the market launch of the new BMW i3 including a new metallic M Le Castellet Blue.