Bidding Farewell to the BMW i3
Why is BMW stopping production on the i3 in July, and do they have plans to replace it with a more modern BEV?
Written by Clare Behe
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
BMW led the charge on fully electric vehicles with their i3 model, but the unique car never quite caught on, leading
BMW
to announce an end of production this year. If the i3 was such a revolutionary release, why didn’t it stick around? Read on to see what’s on the cards for BMW’s vision
of sustainable driving.The i3: a one-of-a-kind EV
The BMW i3 was introduced in 2011, bringing an electric luxury car to the market before
Tesla
was a household name. Marketed as the future, the hatchback-style car was the first-ever zero emissions-produced vehicle on the market from part sourcing to assembly line to use. Despite being fully electric, it wasn't a heavyweight as EVs typically are, but was instead exceptionally light at 2,635 pounds, due to being structured from carbon fiber, reinforced plastic, and aluminum. Lack of heft allowed the i3 to get from 0-62 mph in about 7 seconds; nothing to scoff at for a newbie EV.
That decent power came from a 287-pound electric engine nestled snugly by the rear axle, powered by a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery that could reach full charge in 18 hours and keep the i3 going for 80-118 miles.
The flaw in the plan
But the cutting-edge technology brought with it a hefty price tag for a nation still trying to recover from an economic crash 3 years earlier, clocking in at $50,000 for the base model. And because the electric vehicle industry was still in its early stages, the mileage capabilities weren’t worth it—the engine capped out at 93 mph, purposefully limited to maximize the battery’s charge, but even so, drivers would be
lucky
to coax 118 miles-per-charge out of the i3. To address the mileage issue, BMW released a range extender, dubbed the “rEX,” to kick in when the battery was lower than 7%, but even then drivers would be lucky to get to 200—and would still have that 7% battery charge left over, unable to run the rEX and squeeze out the remaining power.
Another ding against the i3 was the actual appearance. It was designed to flaunt its uniqueness and sported a pug-nosed grill—reminding jealous passers-by that it didn't need space for an ICE under its hood—and unusual rounded, wanna-be-SUV silhouette. Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder, but in the case of the BMW i3, the masses were unusually united in their opinion of the car’s appearance, and it was not favorable.
Back to the future
With cars of the future becoming the cars of today, the i3’s technology is no longer ahead of the curve, let alone worth the frequent charges. Luckily BMW is accepting the little car’s fate gracefully and is looking to the future to challenge other big names in the EV business.
The i4 Gran Coupe is largely considered a replacement for the i3 crossover model. While it's not quite as green as the iX SUV, it is
$30,000 cheaper
. Similar to its predecessor, the i4 is considered reasonably lightweight for its class at about 2,400 pounds, allowing it to have a range close to 360 miles per charge. It boasts a dependable 50/50 weight distribution for responsiveness, balanced out by having one engine at each end of the car, and a low-mounted battery for what BMW calls a “balanced center of gravity”—translation: there are zero bumps in any road if you're in an i4.
While i3 owners are wistful about saying goodbye to the iconic car, critics aren't surprised to see it go. The EV market is advancing too quickly for a beta-esque, 11-year-old design to have staying power. But BMW is charging ahead: their plan is to have thirteen new BEV's in production by 2023.
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