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Originally Posted by Smooth 330i
Dang! That much for this experimental vehicle and inconvenience of severely limited range and space. What am I missing? How long before one breaks even? Tesla is laughing pretty hard.
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Breaking even isn't really the purpose of this vehicle. The i3/stored kW is quite a bit more efficient than the Tesla - IOW, you get further per kW/hr on the i3 than you do on the Tesla. Adding a bigger battery means bigger tires, bigger springs, shocks, struts, overall strength, which means bigger batteries and decreased range for that extra weight. Eventually, no matter how many batteries you add, your range would start to go down. Just look at the Tesla's incremental increased range with the optional battery packs...their weight prevents you from getting the most range, as you're always carrying around lots more weight, even if you didn't need that range. BMW did a bunch of research and monitored the mini-e and other earlier vehicles to see how far they drove on a normal day, which set the range goal on the i3. That it doesn't meet everyone's goal is irrelevant and is one reason why there are numerous models of cars - no one model suits everyone. Why people beat on a specific one because it doesn't meet their needs is sort of like a child complaining he doesn't want to wear his boots when it's wet out, or trying to use an 8-ounce ball peen hammer when a 5-pound sledge is called for. Different strokes for different folks, and match the tool to the required task.
Their entire purpose in life is different...trying to compare them is futile. IF you need a compact, comfortable car for running around the city, you'd consider the i3. Almost anyone, at least in the USA, is likely to have a second vehicle for those longer trips, or race day, etc. Or, you can buy a package from BMW to ensure you have a suitable gasoline powered vehicle for your needs when the i3 won't work.
That you may not have a need for a vehicle like this is no reason to knock it for what it does do.