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BMW i3 snapped rolling through downtown Chicago

The upcoming 2013 BMW i3, the Bavarians' all-new rear-wheel-drive EV hatchback, was out in Chicago recently, evidently for a promotional video. The car was fully undisguised, rolling silently down Chicago's Wacker Drive.

The i3 will be the first model of the new BMW i brand when it arrives in 2012, and will be powered by a 170-horsepower, all-electric motor mounted over the rear axle. Juice comes from a liquid-cooled lithium-ion battery pack, also mounted beneath the floor.

The drive set up gives the car a flat floor, meaning there's more than enough room in the small package for passengers and cargo. There are bench seats front and rear, which each accommodate four people. There's also room for just over seven cubic feet of cargo. Click past the jump to see the i3 in motion.

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