BMW beats its own estimates by selling over 5,000 of its electric vehicle (EV) i3s the first half of 2014. Does that mean the bMW i3 is doing better than expected?
BMW i3 beats Sales forecast
Love it or hate it, the BMW i3 is one of the most ideal city EVs we’ve driven in a while. But, make no mistake. This isn’t your typical BMW, ready to carve canyons and duke it on race tracks. It’s a city car and at that, it does what it was designed to do very well. Any references to another type of car would be unfair. The BMW i3 is meant for city dwellers and urbanites, period.
Not only is BMW eager to remind you it is doing well, but that it also sold more than a million vehicles in the first half of 2014 for the first time ever. To be a little clearer, this includes the many brands under the company, such as MINI, Rolls-Royce and of course the amazing BMW Motorcycles.
BMW i3, pushing along bottom line sales
The new iDrive division, which is BMW’s plug-in electric cars, including the i8 and i3 helped BMW reach 1,241 BMW i3’s delivered to its customers worldwide, in June. That means this year total sales have been 5,396. Not bad for BMW’s first EV and for its first half of a year. The electric i3 went on sale in Germany, as well as several other European countries in November 2013, but unlike in the U.S., sales took up fairly well. According to our friends at GreenCarCongress, the i3 was the top-selling plug-in car in Germany during the first quarter of 2014, a country not known for its EV affection. The overall picture saw an increase of 6.9% over the same period last year to 954,501 cars. Sales in June reached an all-time high of a 4.8% delivery increase with a total of 193,342 vehicles sold that month.
Stay tuned for a Deutsch Land Radio interview of Nicolas Zart about the state of EVs in the U.S. and Germany.
Starting sales in May, the BMW i3 made its US debut with a modest 336 sales. This picked up somewhat in June with 358. According to Harald Krueger, BMW’s production chief: “The US will be the largest market for the i3”. BMW hopes to build about 20,000 units this years if it sustains this current production.
I interviewed Benoit Jacobs, head designer at the iDrive department for BMW. His talk was frank and candid. I discovered a hidden character at BMW, a playful and learned to respect the i3 and i8 for many reasons, short of the obvious aesthetic ones. Both cars were designed from a desire to achieve static aerodynamic. To quote Benoit: “I didn’t want anything electronic or electric spoilers. I didn’t want anything breaking down the road”, a testament to engineering and design vision. Judging by the stunning BMW i8, we can: Mission accomplished.
Nicolas Zart
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Author needs to define his version of the concept of “city car”….as the i3 far exceeds most people’s notion of a city car. Writer also needs to do his homework when it comes to plug-in vehicles.
BMW representatives are trying to tell journalists the BMW i3 a a great car for “urban mobility.” It’s a small car so saying that it is ideal for city use makes sense JRP. Could you use the BMW i3 for hauling around soccer gear and kids? Probably but it would be a tight fit.
Nicolas knows quite a lot about plug-in vehicles and electric cars.
Care to enlighten us? What homework do I need to do when it comes to plug-in vehicles?
I disagree with your assessment….I’ve actually driven the car repeatedly and I know people that own the vehicle and they have not found it lacking and certainly don’t use it as a “city car”. And they carry soccer gear.
I’ve driven the BMW i3 as well, as you can read here in CarNewsCafe.
http://carnewscafe.com/2014/01/16/bmw-i3-test-drive-three-lucky-charm/
I think it is a perfect city car, and if you read the article well, it is a great urbanite car. I don’t see a problem with those terms. As far as the car being great, it is a great little car, but there are plenty of people who disagree. Not sure how you see my point of view being different than yours.
City car: A city car is a small automobile intended for use in urban areas. Unlike microcars, a city car’s greater speed, capacity and (in perception at least) occupant protection are safer in mixed traffic environments and weather conditions. While city cars can reach highway speeds, that is not their intended use.
What else would you call it, JRP?
I would call it a fully functional plug-in electric vehicle, that comes in 2 flavors…100% electric or with a range extender option.
The industry doesn’t really care how you would call it. The general consensus is that it’s an EV and Series PHEV if you buy the ReX.
Not sure how this answers my questions nor adds to what you’ve been saying.
What is your point? Care to clarify?
As to homework…plug-in electric vehicles – PEVs (including both 100% electric and plug-in hybrids) can easily meet the needs of the public. Average commute in US is under 40 miles daily (under 25 miles in San Diego region). People limit themselves to the mindset of a gasoline vehicle…but there are plug-in hybrid electric vehicle (PHEV) for those who find the need for a gasoline vehicle for some trips. I’ve average 310 MPG with my plug-in hybrid…as 98% of my miles are electric.
Obviously, you know nothing of the automotive industry or its marketing. Your description of the car tells me nothing of its relative size, power output, or expected capabilities in terms of passenger hauling and stuff carrying. All it tells me is that it’s a newfangled electric thingamabob.
Aaron, this person hides under anonymity and doesn’t say much. I could say I worked in the space industry and none would be the wiser.
The i3 is a great city car and perfect for urbanites. Methinks this person just wants to blow off steam without providing substance. So be it.
Wrong on both counts….I’ve worked directly with the car industry in my career.
Then why are you arguing with what is obviously an apt description of the car?
As I stated in the beginning…I disagree with the description. Forums are for people to express opinions. ‘nuf said on the topic.
Very snarky. I’ll look elsewhere for a forum….this is a clique.
Ah come on friend, we get roughed up all the time here. You have to handle a lively discussion and be open to suggestions. I know we are. Didn’t know we were a clique, though.
This isn’t a clique or a forum. 😛