BMW has stated it really wants to sell 100,000 electric vehicles each year as soon as 2017. At this time, its sole electric vehicle -- the i3 -- covers about a quarter of that goal. Just how can BMW meet this high target? By moving out a brand new i3, obviously!
BMW intends to introduce a brand new form of the i3 electric city vehicle in 2017, Reuters reports, citing company sources talking with Germany's Bild am Sonntag. It's unclear when the i3, that is only three model years of age, will feature light revisions or maybe it will likely be considered an exciting-new second generation. BMW didn't immediately return a request comment.
Based on individuals insider sources, BMW's plans for that i3 include revisions towards the front and back fasciae, in addition to another new battery. This latest battery should feature under a 50-percent increase within the current battery, that was introduced for that 2017 model year and boosted its vary from 81 miles to 114. That will put the future i3's range approximately 130 and 140 miles, but that is only a guess.
BMW only offered about 25,000 types of the i3 this past year, that is a long way away in the 100,000 units it wishes to sell in 2017. A brand new i3 with increased range would likely help these efforts, however that alone is not enough. That 100,000-vehicle target would be preferable whether it incorporated BMW's plug-in hybrid range, including variants from the 3 Series, 7 Series and X5.
For this type of small vehicle, the i3 is not exactly affordable. A 2017 BMW i3 using the bigger battery costs just below $45,000 (in front of any federal or condition incentives), and adding a gas-powered range extender bumps that cost up north of $48,000. That's lots of scratch for any vehicle that is not exactly outfitted for multistate jaunts.