Electric vehicles and rooftop solar power are natural partners for several reasons. BMW has just announced a partnership with a Dresden-based company called SOLARWATT to offer deals on photovoltaic systems to drivers of BMW’s upcoming i3 and i8 plug-ins. The German automaker plans to start selling its i3 EV later this year, and its i8 plug-in hybrid in 2014.

According to BMW’s press release:

Under the name 360° ELECTRIC, BMW i offers solutions for any requests a customer might have concerning electromobility. In this comprehensive approach, BMW i will soon be providing complete solar systems from SOLARWATT. The new SOLARWATT Carport System offers an aesthetic solution with innovative glass-glass modules for charging your vehicle’s battery and powering your home with solar electricity to future BMW i3 or i8 owners.

Few technical details are on offer at this point, but both companies want us to know that they are happy about the deal. “Our working partnership with the leading car manufacturer and visionary supplier of vehicles and mobility services in the field of electric vehicles demonstrates the practical value of our new energy supply systems of the future,” said Detlef Neuhaus, CEO of SOLARWATT.

“BMW i steadfastly continues to put its 360° approach towards customer-friendly electromobility into practice. We are glad that with SOLARWATT, we have a premium partner for custom solar solutions on our side which lives up to our customers’ demanding aesthetic and quality standards,” said Marcus Krieg, Director of BMW’s 360° ELECTRIC Project.

Last May, BMW teamed up with utility Green Mountain Energy and installer Real Goods Solar to offer discounts of up to 35 percent on solar systems for US drivers of BMW’s ActiveE electric vehicles.

Sources: AutoBlog Green, BMW