SINGAPORE — BMW Asia and Performance Motors Limited (PML) are to spend more than $5 million on the launch of the i3 and i8, the eco cars that BMW is touting as a revolution in car design.

Both companies issued a statement yesterday describing their rollout plans for the cars. PML is the authorised dealer for BMW’s mainstream cars here, and is also retailing the futuristic i models.

The i3 is a 170bhp electric hatchback that will be sold here with a range extender (that allows petrol to generate power for its batteries on the move), while the i8 is a performance coupe that gets to 100km/h in 4.4 seconds but uses less fuel than a small family hatch.

The multimillion dollar push is an indication of BMW’s high hopes for its i cars, which are being launched here on July 31st, but is also a recognition that electric cars will need some nudging to gain market acceptance here.

Figures from the Land Transport Authority show that as of the end of May this year, only 5,369 of the 619,705 passenger cars here were petrol-electric hybrids. None were electric.

Electric cars have been available for sale before here. Models that could have been bought by mebers of the public include the Mitsubishi i-MiEV, Nissan’s Leaf and the Renault Fluence Z.E. Meanwhile, CarBuyer understands that the electric Renault Twizy was recently turned down for public road use by the LTA.

MORE: LTA says ‘no’ to Renault Twizy

“We recognise that EV ownership is a relatively new concept to a lot of consumers today,” said Sergio Solero, the managing director of BMW Asia.

The $5 million will be spent on five areas: sales, aftersales, training, communication and infrastructure.

To display the cars, PML will set up a BMW i sales corner on the second floor of the BMW showroom at 303 Alexandra Road.

Customers will be attended to by ‘Product Geniuses’, who are trained to take them through test driving, buying and taking delivery of the i cars. The Product Geniuses will also be on call to help customers with follow-up queries.

MORE: BMW i8 review – Why money alone won’t get you one in Singapore

The dealership will also invest in new workshop facilities to service the battery equipment of the cars and to handle repairs of the cars’ carbon fibre bodywork.

PML’s managing director Say Kwee Neng said the company made a “substantial investment in time and resources” to train staff and equip its service centres for the i cars.

Both companies called the joint investment the largest ever in Singapore pertaining to electric vehicles.

MORE: BMW i3 review – Would it work in Singapore?

A spokesperson from BMW Asia said that the $5 million investment will not include funds to build a charging network. However, BMW intends to partner with a local service provider that will establish a network of public charging stations. BMW i customers will be able to join the network for free for the first few years of ownership.

The hope is that after a few years, the public charging landscape will grow enough to encourage more people to drive electric vehicles, thereby establishing a market for more charging networks. “It’s something like the early days of mobile phone networks,” said the spokesperson.