BMW will not renew the i3, its flagship electric car, spelling the end of one of the most distinctive vehicles on the road. The German carmaker will focus instead on installing battery and plug-in technology on its other models, while also planning new pure-electric cars.
However, the company would continue to build the i3.
Released in 2013, the car was BMW’s first serious foray into battery vehicles.
Currently in its fifth iteration, BMW has sold more than 150,000 i3 cars to date, with higher demand every year, as the nascent market for electric vehicles blossomed.
Sales in the first half of this year rose by 21 per cent compared with the same period a year earlier. The i3 is actually doing extremely well in its sixth year of production already.
Sales in August were 30 per cent higher than a year earlier, which is “remarkable” growth for such a comparatively old vehicle.
The carmaker also plans 13 battery-only models by 2023, a time-frame that was recently brought forward because of impending emissions targets.
BMW is installing plug-in hybrid technology into its best-selling models, which allows them to drive using electric power in cities and conventionally on longer journeys.
They are embracing electric technology wholesale to reduce CO2 emissions and hit sales targets in Europe and China.
Reference- Financial Times, BMW PR