Quote:
Originally Posted by SCOTT26
I am not deluding myself because if you look at Tesla as an example and especially the Model S and its decimation of the luxury market to see that customers are attracted to electric mobility if it is done differently.
The Model S is very radical from a normal car and in the US customers see this and see the instant appeal. The BMW i3 is something similar it is entirely developed from the ground up also to be entirely original.
Customers find appeal in originality and BMWi is entirely developed to be original.
The i3 is the first BMW to combine electric mobility with classic BMW dynamics and some customers will be pleased at how lightweight materials make the i3 agile and very dynamic for a BMW.
If you are still not convinced?
Then the BMW i8 Sports car will change your mind.
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I appreciate your reply, Scott. However, I believe people in the US look at Tesla as a serious option because of the ways that it ISN'T different. In other words, it looks like a normal, high class car and it accelerates well. The people who would drive it would not be caught dead in a little boxy green car.
That said, Tesla also has yet to show a legitimate profit. They would have been $57 million in the hole last quarter if it weren't for the $68 million they generated from the mandated California emissions credits that they sold. My point is that I don't believe the i3 had any of the features that made Teslas sell, and beyond that, Tesla is not a business anyone should try to follow.
It's also a bit scary to us BMW enthusiasts to hear statements like the i3 is the most important thing in the history of BMW. That would mark a radical departure for the company that we know and love.
Just one more thing - I WILL buy an electric from BMW when:
1. Energy storage density increases enough that I can enjoy the same power and range as a gas-powered car.
2. You create a car that doesn't look like a pod or a space ship.
3. Charging stations are a bit more common.