Norbert Reithofer, BMW CEO, said the company will likely “make a battery-powered ecologically compatible car for the U.S. market” with a target launch date of 2012. Details beyond that general plan are sketchy.

The initiative was spawned by the automaker’s status in the American car market after 2012, when new CAFE standards begin to take effect. At that point, BMW will be considered a “large vehicle manufacturer,” which means that it will be held to more stringent efficiency standards.

In an interview Tuesday with Mobile Magazine, Reithofer suggested that the vehicle could be a collaboration with another car maker. “Our goal is a cooperation but if it does not work out, we will do it alone. We will make a decision this year,” he said. Reithofer added that the new vehicle might serve as the basis for the global launch of a new “mini car” designed for big cities.