The BMW Megacity Vehicle is set to revolutionize the way mainstream cars are engineered and built, with most of its internal structure and body being composed of lightweight composite materials such as carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

The Megacity Vehicle has now taken a major step closer to production, with BMW announcing today that it will be investing €400 million (approximately $565 million) in upgrading its plant in Leipzig, Germany for the new car.

With a 2013 release date for the Megacity Vehicle, the Leipzig site will be the first location in Germany equipped to handle the large-scale production of zero-emission electric vehicles. Some 800 jobs will be created in the process. Additionally, the Megacity Vehicle will be the world’s first volume-produced car with a passenger compartment made from lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.

The Megacity will be a zero-emission urban car for the world’s metropolitan regions, with dimensions being slightly larger than the MINI Cooper but smaller than the 1-Series. Despite its small proportions, the vehicle will be a four-seater. It will be powered by a newly developed drivetrain consisting of a 134 horsepower electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries and driving the rear axle. A range-extended version complete with a compact internal combustion engine acting as a generator may also be launched.

The car won’t be cheap, however. BMW is launching the Megacity under a new ‘sub-division’ just like its high-performance M cars. Pictured above are official photos of the car’s carbon-fiber structure being developed and tested and included is an official teaser sketch depicting its production form.

Sadly, we won’t get to buy one until at least 2013 and even then the U.S. may not see the car until a later date. However, from next year onwards the plant will start churning out the ActiveE electric vehicle based on the BMW 1-Series Coupe.

[BMW]

The Megacity will be a zero-emission urban car for the world’s metropolitan regions, with dimensions being slightly larger than the MINI Cooper but smaller than the 1-Series. Despite its small proportions, the vehicle will be a four-seater. It will be powered by a newly developed drivetrain consisting of a 134 horsepower electric motor running on lithium-ion batteries and driving the rear axle. A range-extended version complete with a compact internal combustion engine acting as a generator may also be launched.

The car won’t be cheap, however. BMW is launching the Megacity under a new ‘sub-division’ just like its high-performance M cars. Pictured above are official photos of the car’s carbon-fiber structure being developed and tested and included is an official teaser sketch depicting its production form.