Four hi-tech all-electric BMW i3 hatchbacks were yesterday handed over to America’s Cup defenders Oracle Team USA.

Jimmy Spithill, the Oracle skipper, said: “We’ve got the best rides in Bermuda — I think there are a lot of jealous people on the island right now.”

But Mr Spithill said the German green machines would also highlight the alternatives to gas and diesel engines.

He explained: “If we can help be the catalyst to introduce this technology to help people get around the island, we’re happy.

“It’s a no-brainer — there’s plenty of sunshine here and charging stations around the island could be powered by solar.

“If we can help do that, alongside BMW, that would be a pretty good thing to be a part of.”

The BMW hatchback, made by a main sponsor of Oracle, features the latest in design, with a composite bodyshell to cut down on weight and with the car being recyclable at the end of its life.

Mr Spithill said he had driven an i3 overseas and had been “very impressed”.

He added: “It’s like a mini luxury car and I love the technology — it’s a really cool little car.”

Handing over the vehicles at Oracle’s Dockyard nerve centre, David Gibbons, chairman of Bermuda motors and its Ultimate Motors wing, which sells BMW, said the i3, the first car to be designed as all-electric from the start, was “incredibly innovative”.

He added: “This is a union that brings together speed and efficiency, technology and art, aerodynamics and aeronautics.

“More importantly, it’s the promise this type of technology brings — zero emissions, recyclable materials and hopefully recharging from the sun in the future.”

Mr Gibbons added that Bermuda had been low on the global list for deliveries of i3s — until the island won the America’s Cup.

And he said: “We have two sold over the weekend and it looks like another two might be going out.”

Premier Michael Dunkley, who attended the handover, said: “I was very surprised at the roominess inside, the quality of the vehicle, what it does for our environment and the very, very smooth drive.”

And he praised Oracle and BMW for “all that you have tried to do to support the community and having a positive impact on the community”.

Mr Dunkley said: “This is a vehicle I believe can help us move in that direction.”

Grant Simmer, the chief operating officer for Oracle, said BMW and the team were also collaborating on technology, with the BMW racing car division designing a steering wheel for the team’s boat.

He added: “We are pleased to see BMW’s commitment to sustainability and their commitment to electric cars.

“There is so much innovation in the cars and we look forward to driving them and we thank Bermuda Motors for the support they have given us.”