Better than an i3? How 'bout an i3?

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ultraturtle

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 30, 2012
Messages
440
Location
Peachtree City, Georgia USA
Looking for another car more than 4 years after placing a deposit for one of the first i3 REX's to be delivered in North America, I was amazed to discover that no automaker has even tried to create a better car. None, that is, except BMW.

We were initially looking for something a bit less pricey, but with respectable electric range (like the Prius Prime or the Volt) but the $10,000 incentive from BMW North America combined with a dealer concession of about $4,000 put the i3 close enough to a fully loaded Prius Prime or Volt for it to be a no-brainer decision:

i3_Twins.jpg


We ended up with a 2017 i3 nearly identical to our 2014, but with a 50% higher capacity traction battery and a moonroof for about $9,000 less than the 2014.
 
Nice purchase, ultraturtle.

I live in a big Western USA city and the i3 has done well here. I see a few every day and it's a non-event to have one or two at the same traffic light or to find yourself pacing one on the freeway.

BMW targeted the "Megacity" and they hit that specific mark well. In the market that the i3 was designed for, range isn't a major issue. I'm lucky, I can walk in under 5 minutes to five different L2 chargers and an L3 charger. This is definitely not the norm for the US, but if you live and work in such a place, an 80-mile range is plenty. In such an environment, the i3 thrives.

BMW swung for the fences with the concept of weight-savings and a moderate-range battery, envisioning markets that are practical only in a few (though highly populous) places. Recent reports about the future of i don't inspire a lot of hope for future-think engineering from the brand and that does make me sad.

The Bavarians took a lot of risks going the way they did – I still hope they return to the the long view and stay on the path they've built.
 
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