Munich  - BMW is planning to sell its eco-friendly Megacity model family, planned for the middle of the next decade, under a fourth sub-brand, the car maker's CEO Norbert Reithofer has confirmed.

"We asked ourselves the question what our strongest brand in the concern is and that happens to be BMW," Reithofer said in a telephone conference.

Reithofer said the first of the Megacity vehicles will feature an electric drivetrain and will be launched under the BMW logo comparable to BMW's M badge, in the high-performance segment.

Reithofer indicated that the car maker was planning a new family of vehicles fitted with electric engines and fuel-saving combustion engines.

SB LiMotive, a joint venture between Bosch and Samsung SDI, is to supply the lithium-ion battery cells for the Megacity project.

There has been much speculation that BMW could revive the legendary Isetta three-wheeler microcar from the 1950s and the CI motorcycle as an electric bike. Reithofer refused to comment on the reports.

The car maker is currently testing a fleet of Mini E-vehicles in New York, Berlin, Munich and Los Angeles. (dpa)