Quote:
Originally Posted by ecaedus
i think this whole i project, until now with the i3 and i8 is a very big gamble for BMW. on the one hand, if it's successful it'll push CFRP into cars in this and other segments faster, but what happens to that billion euro investment upfront for the infrastructure if god forbids, it fails?
the extensive use of aluminum and CF is great news to the entire car industry but saying that BMW has "left behind the competition" is some big words, refer to tesla Model S in terms of range and performance even without CF structure. i'm not saying that model s should be compared to the i3, it should not, one is 100k and the other is 45k. but it represents the efforts that both company is showing to the world when it comes to electric cars. one is a normal looking car with incredible performance, the other is a CF ecobox with meh performance.
130miles(max range with Rex and grandma style driving) sounds ok as long as you stay in the city. compared to prius and volt which still main uses gas this is greener, but it's not a "better" solution, your mobility and freedom, the whole point of owning a car, is limited. losing that extra range is going to be hard cold fact.
i'm left wondering what happens when model X comes out? what happens when a midsizer from tesla comes out with twice or more the range and power compared to the i3? no matter how powerful the brand image of BMW is compared to tesla it's future i5, 6, 7s won't sell if you are not the leader of performance and range in this segment.
marketing at the end of the day is still just marketing, lets see how the i3 does in reality. this will lead into an all out competition in structure, manufacture and battery tech in the electric segment in the future and it's the consumers that's gonna benefit.
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We discussed this today and even my colleagues who were in New York were asked the same question.
Especially with potential customers they are a bit too wary of investing in a Tesla because of the unknown quantity. Lots of customers invested in the Fisker Karma and look where that got them. There is concern that some believe that the rug could still be pulled from under them.
BMWi is fully backed by BMW and that alleviates concern that if something should fail.
When we look at our premium competition , we see their idea to initiate electric mobility is to electrify their best selling models which come as petrol and diesel leaving the customer with a choice. The BMW i3 you do not get that choice and for some the individuality will extend its appeal.
When we were on the road to the production of the BMW i3 I made it a point of driving what is out there for customers at this time and this was over the past couple of years. The car that impressed me most out with the Active E and MINI E was the Tesla Model S it embodied the same individuality and focus of the BMW i3 . People will see the i3 as a competitor , perhaps in EV status but as in segment they are both entirely different competitors.
The BMWi3 will find customers , some I spoke to in London are choosing the car as the secondary BMW mainly for driving in London , whilst some are interested in the i3 as the primary BMW.
This is the first production BMW electric vehicle . It does not only symbolise progress but it also lays the starter for real- use evaluations so we can follow on and how to make subsequent versions throughout the cars future generations.