No Sunroof in the US: Confirmed

I was able to confirm that at least for the launch, the US i3's will not have a sunroof option. In fact, it's unlikely to be available on the i3 in all of 2014. I know there has been a lot of people asking about this here and it's now official. I don't know if it means they aren't making any sunroofs for the European market, but the US will definitely not be getting sunroofs.

Hi Tom,

what ? Do you mean it is not a part of any of the trim packages, so one has to order it separately ? Or is it totaly off the list ?
My car (just produced) sure has one, so has the BEV of my good, range struggling friend (driving it since december).
What in the name of something could be the reason of the sunroof being unavailable in the US ?

Regards, Steven

My UK BEV has a sunroof, very nice it is too!

Stevei3 said:

Hi Tom,

what ? Do you mean it is not a part of any of the trim packages, so one has to order it separately ? Or is it totaly off the list ?
My car (just produced) sure has one, so has the BEV of my good, range struggling friend (driving it since december).
What in the name of something could be the reason of the sunroof being unavailable in the US ?

Regards, Steven

Click to expand...

It's totally off the list. US i3's will not get sunroofs even if you want to pay for it, it's not available, period.

It is a bummer, for sure . My other car will just have to be a convertible !

TomMoloughney said:

I was able to confirm that at least for the launch, the US i3's will not have a sunroof option. In fact, it's unlikely to be available on the i3 in all of 2014. I know there has been a lot of people asking about this here and it's now official. I don't know if it means they aren't making any sunroofs for the European market, but the US will definitely not be getting sunroofs.

Click to expand...

Well this is a total bummer. I just placed my order on Saturday. I will now have to cancel it.

I had come to accept that I was going to have to make some personal comfort and compromises to make the i3 work for me. And I had come to accept that I was going to have to live with the inflated pricing of this car, but not having a sun roof is just not acceptable and a total deal killer.

This move on BMW's part makes ZERO sense. The sunroof is being sold in Europe. The sunroof is part of all the demo vehicles they have been trotting around the US. Why in the world would they not make it available for sales here?

I'll stay tuned on this forum for a couple of days in hopes that you will be able to report that this is wrong, but otherwise I am gone.

tiburonh said:

TomMoloughney said:

I was able to confirm that at least for the launch, the US i3's will not have a sunroof option. In fact, it's unlikely to be available on the i3 in all of 2014. I know there has been a lot of people asking about this here and it's now official. I don't know if it means they aren't making any sunroofs for the European market, but the US will definitely not be getting sunroofs.

Click to expand...

Well this is a total bummer. I just placed my order on Saturday. I will now have to cancel it.

I had come to accept that I was going to have to make some personal comfort and compromises to make the i3 work for me. And I had come to accept that I was going to have to live with the inflated pricing of this car, but not having a sun roof is just not acceptable and a total deal killer.

This move on BMW's part makes ZERO sense. The sunroof is being sold in Europe. The sunroof is part of all the demo vehicles they have been trotting around the US. Why in the world would they not make it available for sales here?

I'll stay tuned on this forum for a couple of days in hopes that you will be able to report that this is wrong, but otherwise I am gone.

Click to expand...

Don't shoot the messenger! This came from Jacob Harb personally, and he is the manager of sales and strategy for electric vehicles in North America and confirms what I was told last week by the i3 product manager. Sorry but it's the case. The dealers were also told today. Call your salesman and he'll confirm. Sorry.

TomMoloughney said:

tiburonh said:

TomMoloughney said:

I was able to confirm that at least for the launch, the US i3's will not have a sunroof option. In fact, it's unlikely to be available on the i3 in all of 2014. I know there has been a lot of people asking about this here and it's now official. I don't know if it means they aren't making any sunroofs for the European market, but the US will definitely not be getting sunroofs.

Click to expand...

Well this is a total bummer. I just placed my order on Saturday. I will now have to cancel it.

I had come to accept that I was going to have to make some personal comfort and compromises to make the i3 work for me. And I had come to accept that I was going to have to live with the inflated pricing of this car, but not having a sun roof is just not acceptable and a total deal killer.

This move on BMW's part makes ZERO sense. The sunroof is being sold in Europe. The sunroof is part of all the demo vehicles they have been trotting around the US. Why in the world would they not make it available for sales here?

I'll stay tuned on this forum for a couple of days in hopes that you will be able to report that this is wrong, but otherwise I am gone.

Click to expand...

Don't shoot the messenger! This came from Jacob Harb personally, and he is the manager of sales and strategy for electric vehicles in North America and confirms what I was told last week by the i3 product manager. Sorry but it's the case. The dealers were also told today. Call your salesman and he'll confirm. Sorry.

Click to expand...

Hi Tom-

Absolutely did not mean to shoot the messenger! Indeed, I (and the others on this forum) can't thank you enough for all that you do to collect and distribute information in a clear and timely fashion.

As for maybe shooting someone at BMW, that's a different matter. If you ever do get an explanation from them as to why they would offer the sunroof in Europe but not in the US (and also as to why they feel they can't pass along the full amount of the federal tax credit on leases), I would love to hear it!

Cheers,

H

That's strange. My dealer in Northern California told me sunroofs were standard. And the i3 I test drove a couple of weeks ago had it.

So, this may answer the question I was wondering about all those demo i3s they have floating around the U.S. I might have expected them to end up being sold (especially given the general shortage of cars) to folks here in the U.S. much like any other demo...this would imply they are all Euro Spec and headed back overseas...or to the crusher.

cab said:

So, this may answer the question I was wondering about all those demo i3s they have floating around the U.S. I might have expected them to end up being sold (especially given the general shortage of cars) to folks here in the U.S. much like any other demo...this would imply they are all Euro Spec and headed back overseas...or to the crusher.

Click to expand...

Yes, all the cars here now are euro-spec pre-production, none of then even have VINs.

WaffleHouse: Your dealer is wrong, trust me.

TomMoloughney said:

I was able to confirm that at least for the launch, the US i3's will not have a sunroof option. In fact, it's unlikely to be available on the i3 in all of 2014. I know there has been a lot of people asking about this here and it's now official. I don't know if it means they aren't making any sunroofs for the European market, but the US will definitely not be getting sunroofs.

Click to expand...

My cynical side tells me that maybe BMW is unwilling to include the sunroof in the US models because they have discovered that it compromises the integrity of the carbon fibre roof to the point that the car won't test well enough in the NHSA and/or IIHS crash tests. I'm just saying'……

tiburonh said:

My cynical side tells me that maybe BMW is unwilling to include the sunroof in the US models because they have discovered that it compromises the integrity of the carbon fibre roof to the point that the car won't test well enough in the NHSA and/or IIHS crash tests. I'm just saying'……

Click to expand...

Kind of hoping that's true. Carbon fiber is incredibly strong and lightweight, while glass is incredibly weak and heavy. If such a simple strategy is necessary to snag a top score in USA safety testing, I'm all for it.

Wow, that is a total shock...

I've been thinking about this a lot, and it definitely isn't worth buying an i3 without a sunroof. The one saving grace of a car that most people (not me) think is ugly at first sight is how open the interior looks and feels. Taking out the sunroof does a lot to kill that. I want my next car to be a plug in for sure though. Hopefully next year's i3's will include the sunroof (and traffic jam assist). Otherwise I'll probably end up buying the upcoming Mercedes C class PHEV, or the as of yet unannounced Audi A4 PHEV. I seriously doubt the Tesla model E will be out until at least 2017, so that's not an option.

With all respect, it really seems that people are just longing for these things what they can't have. In Europe I had a possibility to select both of these options but I did not, as I see both quite pointless (I have sunroof on my x5 and it stays mainly covered). At the same time I miss yellowish paint like on active tourer proto...

spiraleyes said:

I've been thinking about this a lot, and it definitely isn't worth buying an i3 without a sunroof. The one saving grace of a car that most people (not me) think is ugly at first sight is how open the interior looks and feels. Taking out the sunroof does a lot to kill that. I want my next car to be a plug in for sure though. Hopefully next year's i3's will include the sunroof (and traffic jam assist). Otherwise I'll probably end up buying the upcoming Mercedes C class PHEV, or the as of yet unannounced Audi A4 PHEV. I seriously doubt the Tesla model E will be out until at least 2017, so that's not an option.

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Hey, don't sweat the sunroof!
Through a mess-up in the order, my i3 turned up without a sunroof and I must admit, it's the only option I really do not miss!

The i3 is not ugly, it's just different and with the dark brown leather interior it feels open and airy, let stand how it would be with the lighter Lodge/Loft interior!

And if you've driven the i3, IMHO a Mercedes or Audi just don't make it! :mrgreen:

i3me said:

spiraleyes said:

I've been thinking about this a lot, and it definitely isn't worth buying an i3 without a sunroof. The one saving grace of a car that most people (not me) think is ugly at first sight is how open the interior looks and feels. Taking out the sunroof does a lot to kill that. I want my next car to be a plug in for sure though. Hopefully next year's i3's will include the sunroof (and traffic jam assist). Otherwise I'll probably end up buying the upcoming Mercedes C class PHEV, or the as of yet unannounced Audi A4 PHEV. I seriously doubt the Tesla model E will be out until at least 2017, so that's not an option.

Click to expand...

Hey, don't sweat the sunroof!
Through a mess-up in the order, my i3 turned up without a sunroof and I must admit, it's the only option I really do not miss!

The i3 is not ugly, it's just different and with the dark brown leather interior it feels open and airy, let stand how it would be with the lighter Lodge/Loft interior!

And if you've driven the i3, IMHO a Mercedes or Audi just don't make it! :mrgreen:

Click to expand...

For those of you for whom a sunroof is not important, enjoy your i3. But please understand that for many of us a sunroof is a critical component of the driving experience, and please understand our frustration over BMWs so far unexplained decision not to offer it here in the US.

I took receipt with a sunroof in the uk on friday....it is nice in the cabin to see the sky but not
a great sunroof with pillar and not full retraction, but I like it now for the sunshine and a little bit of air flow

Ok so no sunroof for the US just now, but there are positives, the car will be more efficient and go further on a charge because it weighs less it will be better insulated against cold or heat, and will be more aerodynamic. Oh and it will cost you less to buy and run.

Two weeks ago I had a demonstrator REX for a couple of days, and the chap at the garage said I could go where I pleased. Taking advantage, I charged the car up full and filled the small 9ltr petrol tank and set of for York, a journey of about 175 miles door to door.

Using the A1 motorway and setting the rex to maintain the charge at 75% I set off, booting it in all the right places. She just wanted to go!

By the time I got to York my petrol tank was empty, but I had a healthy battery at 70%. I filled up with petrol and, proceeded to my destination in York City.

I was less heavy footed on my return, putting the car into eco-pro+ and driving gently, to see if I could return to my starting point without using any petrol. The Rex engine remained off until the battery charge had dropped to about 15% which was within about 3 miles of my starting point.

My battery bus is being built in week 6 and hopefully delivered by week 10, Oh and I did include a sunroof.

Regards
Chris