BMW joins the electric car fray

[Capt Worley PE]

While in Germany at the first early pre-production drives of the hotly anticipated BMW i3, BMW people finally hinted at a price ballpark. Numbers being tossed around by pundits have actually been pretty close to whatBMW is discussing internally - between $35,000 and just over $40,000. We have been assured now that the base price, should one choose to buy and not lease in the Euro zone, is just over 35,000 euro, with some big taxes included in that price. In the US, the starting price for the fully EV plug-in version should be $34,500 or right thereabouts. In addition to new pricing, we've also gotten our best-yet look at the i3, with the freshly uncovered spy shots you see here.

European deliveries begin in November of this year for the fully electric version of the rear-wheel-drive i3 with 168-horsepower and 184 pound-feet of torque. The e-motor mounted over the rear axle is supplied with energy by the 22-kWh lithium-ion battery pallet under the passenger compartment. Recharging happens in any of three ways: public or personal garage plug-in charge station (garage version not included in the price), the onboard system's Pro Eco mode that adds resistance to the drivetrain in a type of rolling brake energy recuperation, or through the normal brake energy and off-throttle coasting regeneration more common to EVs. Range on a full charge of this drivetrain is said to be upwards of 100 miles under hyper-miling conditions.

Perhaps the best bit of news is that the alternative, range-extending, two-cylinder 600cc engine supplied byBMW Motorrad for the hybrid version of the i3 – mounted in the rear together with the e-motor – will add only 2,000 euros in Europe and about $2,000 in the US. This is a range-doubling solution that could have brought a much higher price gouge, so thank you, BMW. The hybrid e-drive i3 version arrives a couple months after the full-EV launch version. Remember that, unlike the very similar system for the Chevrolet Volt, the system in the i3 supplies no mechanical torque to the driven axle and is only used as a generator (a system BMW first used last year in the 1 Series-based Active ). The US is seen as the clear number one market for the i3.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/08/bmw-i3-starts-near-35-000-na-first-deliveries-january-2014/

 

[Supe]

You can't buy a BMW now for that little in the US, and I sure as heck don't expect its POS plug in car to be cheaper than a bare bones 3 series.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Why do so many manufacturers insist on making their electric vehicles look like $hit?

 

[Capt Worley PE]

Why do so many manufacturers insist on making their electric vehicles look like $hit?

There is a school of thoughtt in the auto biz that folks that buy these things want something that looks like it as an EV or Hybrid. Seeing how well the malibu, Fusion, Accord, Civic, etc hybrids sell compared to the Prius, I'd say they have a valid point.

Higher end stuff, like the Fisker (RIP), tesla, and cadillac ELR HAVE to look good to command the premium they do.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Range on a full charge of this drivetrain is said to be upwards of 100 miles under hyper-miling conditions.

http://www.autoblog.com/2013/07/08/bmw-i3-starts-near-35-000-na-first-deliveries-january-2014/

Hell, you can get nearly 50 mpg out of a Dodge Magnum using hyper-miling conditions. That isn't any reasonable measure of fuel efficiency since the techniques required to hypermile are impractical at best, and dangerous at worst.

 

[Supe]

Why do so many manufacturers insist on making their electric vehicles look like $hit?

Because you're paying to look "progressive." Duh.

 

[csb]

I yelled at a guy driving a Prius while I was in Boulder. He was honking at the car in front of him. The car in front of him was waiting for a pedestrian to cross the street and that's why it wasn't moving. I went ahead and yelled at the guy that she was waiting for a freaking person. I find Priuses to be like Jesus fish stickers...I expect you to be a more considerate driver than the average.

 

[Dexman PE PMP]

Couldn't help but think of this after CSB's comment on the fish sticker...

The light turned yellow, just in front of him. He did the right thing, stopping at the crosswalk, even though he could have beaten the red light by accelerating through the intersection.

The tailgating woman was furious and honked her horn, screaming in frustration, as she missed her chance to get through the intersection, dropping her cell phone and makeup.

As she was still in mid-rant, she heard a tap on her window and looked up into the face of a very serious police officer. The officer ordered her to exit her car with her hands up.

He took her to the police station where she was searched, fingerprinted, photographed, and placed in a holding cell.

After a couple of hours, a policeman approached the cell and opened the door. She was escorted back to the booking desk where the arresting officer was waiting with her personal effects.

He said, "I'm very sorry for this mistake. You see, I pulled up behind your car while you were blowing your horn, flipping off the guy in front of you and cussing a blue streak at him. I noticed the 'What Would Jesus Do' bumper sticker, the 'Choose Life' license plate holder, and the chrome-plated Christian fish emblem on the trunk, so naturally....I assumed you had stolen the car."

Priceless