[remmib]

Originally Posted by Touring

talked to my dealer. it will be cheaper than a Nissan leaf here. Nissan leaf is the second best selling car in Oslo. maybe i3 will be number one! I will probably get mine around 16 me November. can't wait!

Cool, I guess Norway will be the best selling marked (compared to population) for the i3.

What about options?

But the question is, for how long will electric cars avoid the Norwegain taxes?

[ron_jeremy]

Originally Posted by kppanic

looks good. I wonder how the price will translate in Canada.

Here, it will cost half of a F30 320d.
Pretty decent.

[Braap]

Looks awesome! Loving it!

[matbl]

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

I am in London for the European stage of the BMW i3 premiere. and the response has been astounding, some try to spoil the mood by asking about the M4 and M3 for that you have to wait till next month for the M4 Concept and Tokyo in December for the M3.

Reading some of the comments here and I just had to put some people right.


For every i3 BMW sells it will be profitable.

The i3 is accessed like the MINI Clubman you open the front door and then operate the handle to open the rear door.

The investment for BMWi is not only lucrative for BMW , but other industries as well who are very much interested in buying CFRP for other forms of sustainability such as shipbuilding , architecture and aeronautics.
Our partner Toyota is also interested in purchasing CFRP from BMW.

The genius of BMW is why the next generation of BMW , MINI and Rolls-Royce models will benefit. It all begins with the next 7er family.

Today BMW has effectively left its competitors behind in advancing the automobile , how its engineered , manufactured , designed and driven.
The i3 is completely thinking out the box , unconventional but wholly intelligent.

Our competitors now have to wait to see how the car performs on the market and then rush to get their alternative out as an electrified B-Klasse , A3 and Golf are not going to cut it against the i3.
The BMW is as it states Born Electric. It showcases an individual concept to electric mobility and that is its appeal.

The BMW i3 is only the beginning and approaching will be the progressive sports car the BMW i8 and we can't wait to tell you about that car!
Of course other models for other segments will also feature under the BMWi brand.

I am willing to bet that in a few years time BMWi will be as synonymous as alternative drivetrains as is BMW M with performance.

* amateur render of what a BMWi Sports Sedan could look like using the BMWi design language.

Thanks for the update scott.
If BMW could make an i3+ or something that is say 30-40 cm longer so we get a decent trunk size, I would actually consider changing from my 520d Touring (F11) to this.

[MWM3]

Kinda cool...

[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.

[SCOTT26]

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.

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.

[jadnashuanh]

Originally Posted by Muffnbluff

Keep in mind this price is before $7,500 tax credits, so in reality the starting price is more like $34,000. I'm interested to see how much more the other trim levels are over the entry level. Also can't get a great sense for legroom in pics because of varying front seat positions in the pictures. Not having a B pillar may be a nice feature for people with infants/toddlers.

I'm hoping the tax credits still exist ...in a quick read of the bill, it appears to expire the end of this year (end of 2013), or when each brand has exhausted its allocation, whichever comes first.

[esquire]

This car is monumental in how little it gets right. It fails from in the looks department perspective, from a performance stand point, and then adds insult to injury by selling you the already lackluster package, at a poorly chosen price point.

I read Scott26 say somewhere that the financial livelihood of BMW is tied to the BMW i series - that they've invested that much into it. Hope not, because if so, BMW is about to be in bad shape.

[SCOTT26]

Originally Posted by esquire

This car is monumental in how little it gets right. It fails from in the looks department perspective, from a performance stand point, and then adds insult to injury by selling you the already lackluster package, at a poorly chosen price point.

I read Scott26 say somewhere that the financial livelihood of BMW is tied to the BMW i series - that they've invested that much into it. Hope not, because if so, BMW is about to be in bad shape.

Its not. As I said the investment is for the whole of BMW and future models will see the benefits. Our premium competitors are not at the stage of having cost effective volume production of CFRP. The investment will and can be recooperated from selling CFRP to other industries which is already in effect.

Both the i3 and i8 will be profitable. Just over 700 customers have ordered the i3 globally. Now that the car is official we expect to see this number increase.

[SkipSauls]

Has anyone seen the specs for the interior? I've seen the bit about it being nearly the size of a 3 series inside, but how near is it really? It will be interesting because a Tesla Model S has very similar interior specs to a 3 series, despite being much larger and often being compared to a 5 or even a 7 series. It won't compare well to the Model S for cargo volume, but it will be interesting if it is close in terms of passenger volume. A Model S has "only" 94 cubic feet for the passengers, and I think an F30 will have as much or more. Could be a selling point for people looking to maximize their efficiency while commuting in an electric car.

[bimmerjph]

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

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.

Just curious. Is the BMWi sub-brand strictly for electric and hybrid electric vehicles? Or theoretically could we see a HICE car introduced through BMWi?

[Jay-K]

Yes please

[24601]

that is crazy! this is an uber fail from BMW. not the ultimate driving machine. smh.

[midwest 340xi 6sp]

Originally Posted by Pentium

I think the i8 will be something big, by the way anybody watched the last episode of TopGear? they drove the SLS Black Series VS the Electric....

Here is a small part:

Frigging Classic!

[Matski]

Originally Posted by esquire

This car is monumental in how little it gets right. It fails from in the looks department perspective, from a performance stand point, and then adds insult to injury by selling you the already lackluster package, at a poorly chosen price point.

I read Scott26 say somewhere that the financial livelihood of BMW is tied to the BMW i series - that they've invested that much into it. Hope not, because if so, BMW is about to be in bad shape.

In the looks department I can't think of too many other competing products that look much better (not that I think the i3 looks too bad anyway), and as far as it being a lacklustre package for the price, over here where we have more engine options and BMW's aren't so cheap, you don't exactly get a high performance model at this price anywhere else in the range.

I'm also reasonably sure that BMW made project-i work on more than level before committing billions to it - rather than just hoping to win over M3 drivers with i3's, so I wouldn't worry too much.

[Mavus]

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/201...-and-info-news

"The i3 is propelled by a 170-hp electric motor that churns out 184 lb-ft of torque driving the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission. That’s sufficient to hurl the tall-roof vehicle from a standstill to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, BMW says. Smiles fade soon thereafter, as top speed is limited to 93 mph. This makes the i3 the slowest series-production Bimmer since the venerable BMW 700, a two-cylinder compact, went out of production in 1965."

"BMW says that the "usable range" for the i3 is 80 to 100 miles in the car’s standard Comfort setting"

"It is reassuring that BMW offers an optional range-extender engine: a 34-hp, 650-cc two-cylinder that adds 330 pounds—and a whopping $3850 to the i3's $41,350 base sticker—of heft. Customers thus have a choice to go purely electric, Tesla-like, or enjoy the added flexibility and range of an internal-combustion engine"


expensive little piglet ...

[dmode]

Does the i3 have battery swapping tech ?

[akhter]

The prius lovers in Cali can finally get a less ugly and better driving car!

[lux]

Originally Posted by Smooth 330i

http://www.caranddriver.com/news/201...-and-info-news

"The i3 is propelled by a 170-hp electric motor that churns out 184 lb-ft of torque driving the rear wheels through a single-speed transmission. That’s sufficient to hurl the tall-roof vehicle from a standstill to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, BMW says. Smiles fade soon thereafter, as top speed is limited to 93 mph. This makes the i3 the slowest series-production Bimmer since the venerable BMW 700, a two-cylinder compact, went out of production in 1965."

"BMW says that the "usable range" for the i3 is 80 to 100 miles in the car’s standard Comfort setting"

"It is reassuring that BMW offers an optional range-extender engine: a 34-hp, 650-cc two-cylinder that adds 330 pounds—and a whopping $3850 to the i3's $41,350 base sticker—of heft. Customers thus have a choice to go purely electric, Tesla-like, or enjoy the added flexibility and range of an internal-combustion engine"


expensive little piglet ...

Why the hell did BMW spend so much money putting all this CFRP into the car and yet there are no tangible benefits?

If the car is that much lighter than the competition, I would have expected:

1) Extended range without an engine

2) Faster acceleration times

3) Better handling / dynamic driving

The first two are a big fail. Hopefully the i3 does better in the last category, otherwise all this CFRP talk is marketing BS.

[ron_jeremy]

Originally Posted by SCOTT26

Its not. As I said the investment is for the whole of BMW and future models will see the benefits. Our premium competitors are not at the stage of having cost effective volume production of CFRP. The investment will and can be recooperated from selling CFRP to other industries which is already in effect.

Both the i3 and i8 will be profitable. Just over 700 customers have ordered the i3 globally. Now that the car is official we expect to see this number increase.

I think 400 of them is in Norway, which is easily explained as with the taxes.
As i said above, the I3 cost half of what a F30 320d cost here.
And taking into consideration that an I3 will let you pass on payed road's, that's also a benefit.

[cc3]

I like it and have ordered a car. What is annoying is that BMM invests a billion euros but can't get the technology behind its configurator to run smoothly and it only contains limited info. Whats the point of launching a bit of the spec when you cant find out what is included in each package e.g. in the UK called Standard, Loft, Lodge and Suite. Also no details on options or the cost of them! Obviously pricey and they don't want that to come out at launch!

Poor execution of launch materials in my opinion and I would like to buy one!