Munich, Germany - BMW's i8 hybrid supercar has been chosen as the safety car for the inaugural Formula E race which kicks off the series in Beijing on 13 September.
The petrol-electric sports car is fitted with Qualcom Halo wireless induction technology which allows the BMW's batteries to be charged without cables, using resonant magnetic induction to transfer electricity between a ground-based pad and a charger fitted to the underside of the vehicle.
To fast-charge the batteries the car simply parks over the pad.
Formula E is the world's first global, fully-electric racing series and will be run on street circuits around the world, starting in the Chinese capital on a course laid out around the iconic Olympic Stadium that was used for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2008 Olympic Games.
Sapa-dpa