BMW is searching for a technology partner for its hybrid car batteries, said Klaus Draeger, the company's head of r&d.

"We are studying the battery market to see where to get the best cell technology for our mega city vehicle," Draeger said at a press conference here. A decision about BMW's battery partner will be made within a year, he said.

"We are examining the products of Korean suppliers like LG Chem, and we are talking to Japanese suppliers as well as U.S.-based suppliers like A123 Systems Inc.," Draeger said.

BMW is working on a small car targeted at major population centers. The city car, scheduled to arrive between 2010 and 2015, will be launched in electric and internal combustion engine versions.