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The commune of Miramas, France will be the setting of the unveiling of a BMW 3 Series plug-in hybrid prototype, along with a number of new generation hybrid concepts from Munich. The cars are said to have incorporated technology taken from the BMW i series of vehicles, the i3 and i8.

We've already reported the first details of the 3er PHEV – a 2.0 litre TwinPower Turbo four-cylinder mill is mated to an electric motor and a lithium-ion battery, generating a combined output of 245 hp and 400 Nm. The prototype is claimed to be able to achieve a fuel consumption figure of 50 km per litre, and the hybrid system's all-electric mode, operable at speed under 120 km/h, has a range of 35 km.

In the long term, BMW Group plans to offer a plug-in variant for all its core-brand models, and the drivetrain of the prototype is said to be a big part of the push – it is so flexible that it can be adapted to a variety of models (including the upcoming production X5 eDrive), enabling a rapid deployment across the BMW range.

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Moving forward, the company aims to produce "highly electrified" plug-in hybrids with Power eDrive technology, which will enable a maximum output of over 670 hp, as well as an all-electric driving range of up to 100 km thanks to lithium-ion batteries with capacities of up to 20 kWh.

Eventually, BMW is looking to produce high-performance cars that deliver carbon dioxide emissions of well under 100 grams per kilometre without compromising on the driving experience. Alongside plug-in hybrids, the company will also focus on pure EVs for shorter journeys, with hydrogen fuel cell development further down the line.