THE BMW i8: FORGED BY THE POWER
OF WIND AND WATER.
Sustainability plays a crucial role for the BMW i8, and the same is true
for the production process. All of the electricity required for the manu-
facturing process in the BMW i Plant in Leipzig is produced from renewa-
ble sources. BMW has been leading the way in sustainable production
for a long time now, but BMW i has gone even further and significantly
improved its facilities. The BMW i plant in Leipzig produces its own re-
newable electricity from wind power – directly on the factory premises
– and operates on 100 % clean electric power with zero emissions. It
also features significantly reduced resource consumption.
Similarly, the carbon fiber production facility located in Moses Lake
(USA) is powered completely by renewable electricity from the large
number of hydroelectric plants in the area.
For BMW i sustainable production has not only an environmental
dimension but a social one as well, creating future-proof job profiles
and training BMW i’s suppliers to comply with advanced sustain-
ability standards.
02. PRODUCTION
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All around the roofliner1Intelligent Emergency Re‐
quest 1752Indicator lamp, front-seat pas‐
senger airbag 953Reading lights 924Interior lights 92Seite 17CockpitAt a glance17
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Protective action
Airbags are not triggered in every impact situa‐
tion, e.g., in less severe accidents or rear-end
collisions.
Information on how to ensure the optimal
protective effect of the airbags▷Keep at a distance from the airbags.▷Always grasp the steering wheel on the
steering wheel rim, holding your hands at
the 3 o'clock and 9 o'clock positions, to
keep the risk of injury to your hands or
arms as low as possible when the airbag is
triggered.▷There should be no person, animals, or ob‐
jects between an airbag and a person.▷Do not use the cover of the front airbag on
the front passenger side as a storage area.▷Dashboard and windshield on the front
passenger side must stay clear - do not at‐
tach adhesive labels or coverings and do
not attach brackets or cables, e. g., for GPS
devices or' mobile phones.▷Make sure that the front passenger is sit‐
ting correctly, i.e., keeps his or her feet and
legs in the footwell; otherwise, leg injuries
might occur when front airbag is activated.▷Do not place slip covers, seat cushions or
other objects on the front passenger seat
that are not approved specifically for seats
with integrated side airbags.▷Do not hang pieces of clothing, such as
jackets, over the backrests.▷Make sure that occupants keep their heads
away from the side airbag and do not rest
against the head airbag; otherwise, injuries
might occur when airbag is activated.▷Do not remove the airbag system.▷Do not remove the steering wheel.▷Do not apply adhesive materials to the air‐
bag cover panels, do not cover them or
modify them in any way.▷Never modify either the individual compo‐
nents or the wiring in the airbag system.
This also applies to steering wheel covers,
the dashboard, the seats, the roof pillars
and the sides of the roofliner.◀
Even when you follow all instructions very
closely, injury from contact with the airbags
cannot be ruled out in certain situations.
The ignition and inflation noise may lead to
short-term and, in most cases, temporary
hearing impairment in sensitive individuals.
Malfunction, deactivation and after de‐
ploying the airbags
Do not touch the individual components imme‐
diately after the system has been triggered;
otherwise, you may risk burns.
Only have the airbags checked, repaired or dis‐
mantled and the airbag generator scrapped by
the service center or an authorized repair shop
for handling explosives.
Non-professional attempts to service the sys‐
tem could lead to failure in an emergency or
unintentional activation of the airbag - both
may lead to injury.◀
Warnings and information on the airbags are also found on the sun visors.
Functional readiness of the airbag
system
With operating readiness turned on
warning light in the instrument cluster
lights up briefly indicating airbag sys‐
tem and belt tension are functional.
Airbag system malfunctioning
▷Warning lamp does not come on when op‐
erating readiness is turned on.▷The warning lamp lights up continuously.
In case of a malfunction have airbag sys‐
tem checked immediately.
In case of a malfunction have airbag system
checked immediately; otherwise, there is a risk
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Driving stability control systemsVehicle features and optionsThis chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
Antilock Brake System ABS
ABS prevents locking of the wheels during
braking.
The vehicle contains its steering power even
during full brake applications, thus increasing
active safety.
ABS is ready when car is ready to drive.
Brake assistant
When you apply the brakes rapidly, this system automatically produces the greatest possible
braking force boost. It reduces the braking dis‐
tance to a minimum during emergency stop.
This system utilizes all of the benefits provided
by ABS.
Do not reduce the pressure on the brake pedal
for the duration of the emergency stop.
DSC Dynamic StabilityControl
The concept DSC prevents traction loss in the powerwheels when driving off and accelerating.
DSC also recognizes unstable vehicle condi‐
tions such as fishtailing or nose-diving. Within
the physical limits DSC helps to keep the vehi‐cle on a steady course by reducing engine
speed and by applying brakes to the individual
wheels.
A change in the drive type, refer to page 31,
can be made to improve traction.
Note Adjust your driving style to the situation
An appropriate driving style is always the
responsibility of the driver.
The laws of physics cannot be repealed, not
even with DSC.
Therefore, do not reduce the additional safety
margin by driving in a risky manner.◀
Do not deactivate DSC when driving with
roof load
Do not deactivate Dynamic Stability Control
DSC when driving with roof load, e.g. roof-
mounted luggage rack.
Otherwise, driving safety is not given in driv‐
ing-critical situation due to the elevated center
of gravity.◀
At a glance
Button in the vehicle
DSC OFF button
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the USB audio interface in the center armrest.Cupholders
Hints Shatter-proof containers and no hot
drinks
Use light and shatter-proof containers and do
not transport hot drinks. Otherwise, there is
the increased danger of injury in an accident.◀
Unsuitable containers
Do not forcefully push unsuitable con‐
tainers into the cupholders. This may result in
damage.◀
Front
Between the seats.
RearIn the rear of the center console.
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and Service Guide Booklet for Canadian mod‐
els. These entries are proof of regular mainte‐
nance.
Socket for OBD Onboard
Diagnosis
Note Socket for Onboard DiagnosisThe socket for onboard diagnostics may
only be used by the service center or a work‐
shop that operates in accordance with the
specifications of the vehicle manufacturer with
correspondingly trained personnel and other
authorized persons. Otherwise, use may result
in operating problems for the vehicle.◀
Position
There is an OBD socket on the driver's side for
checking the primary components in the vehi‐
cle's emissions.
Emissions
▷The warning lamp lights up:
Emissions are deteriorating. Have
the vehicle checked as soon as
possible.▷The warning lamp flashes under certain
circumstances:
This indicates that there is excessive mis‐
firing in the engine.Reduce the vehicle speed and have the
system checked immediately; otherwise,
serious engine misfiring within a brief pe‐
riod can seriously damage emission con‐
trol components, in particular the catalytic
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Breakdown assistanceVehicle features and options
This chapter describes all standard, country-
specific and optional features offered with the
series. It also describes features that are not
necessarily available in your car, e. g., due to
the selected options or country versions. This
also applies to safety-related functions and
systems.
Hazard warning flashers
The button is located in the center console.
Intelligent Emergency
Request
The concept In case of an emergency, an Emergency Re‐
quest can be made through this system.
General information
Only press the SOS button in an emergency.
Hints Emergency Request not guaranteed
For technical reasons, the Emergency
Request cannot be guaranteed under unfavor‐
able conditions.◀
At a glance
SOS button in the roofliner
Requirements
▷The SIM card integrated in the vehicle has
been activated.▷The radio-ready state is switched on.▷The Assist system is functional.
Initiating an Emergency Request
1.Press the cover briefly to open it.2.Press the SOS button until the LED at the
button lights up green.▷The LED lights up green: an Emergency
Request was initiated.
If a cancel prompt appears on the display,
the Emergency Request can be aborted.
If the situation allows, wait in your vehicle
until the voice connection has been estab‐
lished.▷The LED flashes green when a connection
to the BMW Response Center has been
established.
When the emergency request is received
at the BMW Response Center, the BMW
Response Center contacts you and takes
further steps to help you.
Even if you are unable to respond, the
BMW Response Center can take furtherSeite 175Breakdown assistanceMobility175
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Screw thread for tow fitting
Press on the mark on the edge of the cover to
push it out.
Tow-starting
Steptronic transmission
Do not tow-start the vehicle.
Tow-starting the engine is not possible due to
the Steptronic transmission.
Have the cause of the starting problems fixed.
Safety of the high-voltage
system
Working on the vehicle Maintenance and repairs
Have maintenance and repair work per‐
formed only by a service center or a workshop
that works according to BMW specifications
with appropriately trained personnel. Other‐
wise, there is the risk of fatal injury from elec‐
trocution due to the high-voltage system's
high voltage.◀
Body work and working on the high-volt‐
age system
Do not perform any modifications or work on
the vehicle, especially maintenance and repair
work on the high-voltage system and the car‐
bon body and avoid retrofitting accessories.
If work is not carried out properly, there is the
risk of fire and fatal injury from electrocution
due to the high-voltage system's high voltage.
Modifications and work on the vehicle may
only be carried out by an authorized BMW i
service center or one that operates according
to BMW i specifications with personnel trained
accordingly.◀
Your vehicle's high-voltage system is a self-
contained system. Safety is ensured as long as
no work is performed on technical components
or on the chassis.
High-voltage system: contact with
water
The high-voltage system is typically safe even
in the following example situations:▷Water in the footwell, for instance after a
rainstorm when sunroof was kept open.▷Vehicle is in water but only up to the al‐
lowed height.▷Liquid eslides in the cargo area.
In these cases there is no risk of injury from
electrocution. Other damage to the vehicle is
possible.
High-voltage system: automatic
deactivation
If an accident occurs, the high-voltage system
is switched off automatically to prevent risk of
danger to occupants and other traffic.
Read the information on What to do after an
accident, refer to page 178.
What to do after an accident Hints After an accident
After an accident, do not touch any high-
voltage components such as orange colored
high-voltage cables or parts that are in contact
with exposed high-voltage cables. Otherwise,
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