BMW i3

BMW i3

BMW i3
BMW / BMW i
aka	BMW Mega City Vehicle
Production	2013 - present
Class	Electric Vehicle
Body Style	5-door hatchback
Length	3,999 mm (157.4 in)
Width	1,775 mm (69.9 in)
Height	1,578 mm (62.1 in)
Wheelbase	2,570 mm (101 in)
Weight	1,195 kg (2,635 lb) 1,315 kg (2,899 lb) (with range extender)
Transmission	Single speed with fixed ratio
Engine	W20K06U0 25 kW 647 cc, two-cylinder generator (optional) with a fuel tank capacity of 9 L (2.4 US gal) in Europe 7.2 L (1.9 US gal) in the U.S. Electric motor: 125 kW (168 bhp)
Power
Similar	similar (competition)
Designer	Richard Kim

The BMW i3 is a five-door urban electric car developed by the German manufacturer BMW. The i3 is part of BMW's "Project i" and was launched as a new brand, BMW i. The i3 is BMW's first zero emissions mass-produced vehicle due to its electric powertrain, and BMW is the first company to launch a volume production vehicle on the market featuring carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer to improve the vehicle's energy consumption. As of August 2016, the BMW i3 is the most fuel efficient EPA-certified vehicle of all years regardless of fuel type, and the i3 REx is the most efficient EPA-certified current year vehicle with a gasoline engine.

The BMW i3's official range is 130 to 160 km (80 to 100 mi) for the 60 A·hbattery option under the New European Driving Cycle (NEDC), and up to 200 km (120 mi) in the most efficient driving mode. Under the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) cycle the official range is 130 km (81 mi) with combined fuel economy of 124 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent —MPGe— (1.90 L/100 km; 149 mpg _imp). BMW is offering a range extender (“REx”) option powered by a 647 cc two-cylinder gasoline engine with a small fuel tank that engages when the battery level drops to a pre-specified point, acting purely as a generator to produce electricity to extend the range to 240 km (150 mi) for the model with the 60 A·h battery under the EPA test cycle.

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Worldwide

The first i3 deliveries to retail customers in Europe took place at an official market launch ceremony held in Munich on 15 November 2013. The first delivery to a retail customer in the U.S. took place in May 2014. Global sales passed the 10,000 unit mark in September 2014, and the 25,000 unit milestone in May 2015. According to BMW, as of November 2015, 80% of i3 buyers are new to the brand. As of May 2016, the BMW i3 was available in 50 countries. After the i3 was launched in 2013, BMW, like many other EV carmakers, faced weak reception of its electric car lineup. BMW planned to sell at least 30,000 units from 2014. Global i3 sales passed the 50,000 unit milestone in July 2016.

A total of 1,477 were registered in 2013 in Europe, 16,052 units were sold worldwide in 2014, and global sales totaled 24,057 units in 2015. The i3 ranked third among all-electric cars sold worldwide in 2014, after the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S. As of November 2015, the i3 ranked as the world's third best selling all-electric car in history. The BMW i3 was again the world's third best selling all-electric car in 2015, and also ranked fifth in 2015 among the world's top selling plug-in electric cars.

Since its introduction, global cumulative sales totaled about 54,700 units through August 2016. The United States is the i3 top selling market, and as of August 2016, sales totaled 22,488 units since its inception.As of August 2016, Germany ranks second with 6,300 units units registered , followed by Norway with 5,997 new units registered, and the UK with 4,457 units registered at the end of June 2016. The Norwegian market has the largest i3 penetration due to its population size, and during the first ten months of 2015 the BMW i3 was the best-selling model across the entire BMW range available in Norway. The i3 was the best selling electric car in Germany since it was launched in November 2013 through November 2015, and also it ranks third in the United States since its introduction.

Asia-Pacific

BMW plans to offer the BMW i3 in South Korea and Japan. Sales in Korean market were scheduled to begin in April 2014. Deliveries in Singapore are slated for late 2014.

Australia

Deliveries in Australia are scheduled to begin in November 2014. Pricing starts at A$63,990 (US$60,050) for the all-electric version and A$69,900 (US$65,600) for the model with the range extender option. Sales have been consistent but low due to the lack of incentives or Government grants. BMW Australia to their credit have been actively lobbying the Australian government to provide incentives like those offered in Northern America to allow more customers to purchase however no incentive has been offered before so is unlikely to occur in the near future.

China

Retail sales began on 21 September 2014. Pricing starts at CN¥449,000 (~US$73,000). Initial sales were limited to seven dealerships in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Shenyang. As of March 2015, the i3 is also available in Guangzhou, Chengdu, and Hangzhou. BMW expected combined sales of around 1,000 units for its i3 and i8 models through December 2014. In Shanghai, where new car registrations are limited to 50,000 vehicles a year and sold by public auction, owners of the BMW i3 are eligible for one of 3,000 free license plates available for imported electric cars. Due to the inadequate charging infrastructure in China, BMW plans to install 50 charging stations in Shanghai in partnership with State Grid Shanghai Electric Vehicle Co. As of November 2015, the BMW i3 is the only imported electric vehicle in China which can be purchased tax-free and avoids the local licence plate lottery.

Japan

A special version of the BMW i3 was developed for Japan to accommodate the low height of the car parking spaces in the country. As of April 2015, there were 46 dealers selling the i3 in Japan, and since April 1, online sales began in the country through Amazon.com. After placing the car in their virtual shopping carts, customers have to wait for a call from BMW, and produce documents showing they have a parking space and access to a charging station.

Europe

Since July 2013 a total of 1,477 units were registered in Europe through December 2013, including about 400 press fleet vehicles and dealer demonstrators. During its first year in the market, a total of 5,804 all-electric i3s and 3,940 REx variants were sold in Europe, totalling 9,744 i3s sold in 2015. The model with the REx variant ranked as the third best selling plug-in hybrid in the region, while the pure electric variant ranked fourth among the top selling all-electric cars. During 2015 i3 sales totaled 12,047 units, with the i3 REx outselling the pure electric variant, 6,566 to 5,481, and achieving a growth of 67% from 2014. As of December 2015, cumulative sales in the region totaled 23,268 units since its inception in late 2013.

Denmark

A total of 138 i3s were registered in Denmark in 2014.^[122] BMW introduced a fleet of 400 all-electric i3s to the DriveNow carsharing service in Copenhagen, which is interconned with the city's public transportation service.

France

Pricing in France starts at €34,990 before the applicable government incentive, and the range extender option costs an additional €4,710. The BMW i3 is one of the plug-in electric cars that is compatible with Autolib'charging network in Paris. The i3 is also compatible with the carsharing networks of Bluely in Lyon and Bluecub in Bordeaux. Private owners can access this network through a montlhy or annual subscription. Registrations totaled 68 units in 2013. During 2014 a total of 193 all-electric i3s were sold in the country, and 414 units with the REx option (68.29%). Cumulative registrations reached 1,497 units by the end of December 2015.

Germany

Prices in Germany start from €34,950  and deliveries to retail customers began in Munichon 15 November 2013. A total of 559 were registered during 2013. The BMW i3 ranked as the top selling plug-in electric car in the country during the first quarter of 2014, representing 34.5% of the segment sales. The i3 ended 2014 as the segment's top selling car with 2,233 units registered in the country through December 2014. Most of the i3s sold in Germany are equipped with the range-extender engine. As of August 2016, cumulative registrations totaled 6,300 units.

Italy

Released in October 2013 a total of 34 units were sold in Italy in 2013. Cumulative sales totaled 162 units through July 2014, of which, 45 are REx models sold during the first seven months of 2014.

Netherlands

Prices in the Netherlands start at €35,500 and the range extender option costs an additional €4,490. Deliveries were scheduled to begin in November 2013. A total of 252 units were registered in the country in 2013, and 545 in 2014. Cumulative sales totaled 1,371 i3s through December 2015.

Norway

Deliveries of the BMW i3 in Norway began on 16 November 2013 at a price of 237,100 kroner, with a choice of three "trims" presented to consumers. According to BMW, there were more than 2,000 orders in the country, but only 50 units were allocated for the Norwegian market in 2013; BMW planned to deliver another 1,500 in 2014, thus extending deliveries far into 2015. Sales through December 2013 totaled 51 units. Accounting for new car sales during 2014, the i3 listed among the 20th best selling new passenger car in Norway almost every month, and ended the year with 2,040 units sold, and a market share of 1.5% of new car sales in 2014. Cumulative registrations reached 5,997 units through August 2016.

Spain

Launched in November 2013, a total of 27 units were sold in 2013. As of December 2014, cumulative sales totaled 231 units.

Sweden

A total of 11 units were sold in 2013. Of these, 10 units sold with the range extender option, which in Sweden is classified as plug-in hybrid. The all-electric version is accounted separately. As of December 2014, cumulative sales totaled 221 units, of which, 64.3% are REx models (142 units).

Switzerland

A total of 106 units were registered in 2013 and 390 in 2014. During the first half of 2014 the i3 was the third best selling plug-in electric car in the country, with a 20% market share of the plug-in segment sales. During the first nine months of 2015, all variants of the i3 totaled 588 units registered, ranking second after the Tesla Model S (1,146). The REx variant represented 65.8% of the model registrations during that period. Cumulative registrations totaled 1,499 units through May 2016.

United Kingdom

The BMW i3 was officially launched in the UK on 6 November 2013. The i3 is available in the UK with four different interiors: Standard, Loft, Lodge and Suite. Pricing in the UK starts at GB£30,680 before the applicable government grant. Leasing for a 36-month contract starts at GB£369 per month including VAT, plus an initial payment of GB£2,995 including VAT. Pricing of the BMW i3 with the range extender option starts at GB£33,830 before government incentives and leasing for the model with Suite interior is GB£480 per month including VAT.

According to BMW, the UK is one of the main i3 markets. As of September 2014, a total of 1,029 units had been sold in the UK, of which, 575 (56%) were range extended versions. A total of 4,457 units were registered at the end of June 2016, of which, 3,131 (70%) were models with the REx option.

North America

Canada

Sales began in Canada in May 2014, starting at a price of CA$44,950 before any available government incentives. The optional range extender cost an additional CA$4,000. As of December 2015, registrations totaled 573 units consisting of 218 all-electric units (38%) and 355 with the REx option (62%).

United States

The first delivery to a retail customer in the U.S. took place in Boston on 2 May 2014. During the first three months, U.S. bounded production was restricted to a special "Launch Edition" i3, with the full option package and the Tera World interior. The only choices customers had at launch were the exterior paint color, the 20″ Sport wheels, and the range extender. Production of normal custom ordered models was scheduled to begin in June. As thanks for their participation in the trial lease program, ActiveE drivers enjoyed priority ordering and the first batch of i3s was allocated to these customers. ActiveE customers were also allowed to order the i3 with any option they select and received the heated seats and DC quick charge options free of charge. Also, BMW created some unique features for the i3 cars of ActiveE drivers, such as embroidered front trunk liner and BMW i floor mats, and interior, exterior and door sill badging. BMW called these cars the “Electronaut Edition i3″.

The American market launch was limited to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, Austin and New York City, plus suburban areas of New Jersey and Connecticut. Pricing in the U.S. starts at US$42,275 before any applicable government incentives, and the range extender option costs an additional US$3,850. Both the all-electric and REx versions are eligible for a federal tax credit of up to US$7,500. In California both the all-electric and REx versions are also eligible for a Clean Vehicle Rebate of US$2,500. However the REx (BEx) version is eligible for California's green sticker reserved for plug-in hybrids that allows access to California's high-occupancy vehicle lanes (HOV), while the BEV version is eligible for the white sticker reserved for pure electric cars.

The i3 is available in three trim levels, Mega World, the standard model in the US, Giga World and the top-of-the-line Tera World. The base Mega World comes standard with 19-inch forged aluminum wheels, BMW Navigation, BMW ConnectedDrive with eCall, the BMW i Remote, an alarm, 7.4 kW on-board charger and LED headlights, DRLs and tail lights. The interior is donned in bright, lightweight Sensatec and sustainable cloth, which is made from recycled materials. It also features a leather trimmed steering wheel and grained dash trim. The next level Giga World has all the features of the Mega with the addition of Giga-specific 19-inch wheels and an interior wrapped in leather and wool cloth. A universal garage door opener is included for easy access to the i3's BMW i Charging Station. It also has Comfort Access, and satellite radio. The Tera World adds unique 19-inch wheels, luxury full leather, olive leaf-tanned interior with textile accents and contrasting stitching, and anthracite floors mats.^[51] Available for every trim is the technology and driving assist and the parking assist packages. The driving assist package includes the wide-screen Navigation Professional with advanced real-time traffic and the new touch pad, BMW Assist with Enhanced Bluetooth and USB with BMW Apps, Online Information services, Deceleration Assistant, ACC Stop & Go, Speed Limit info, BMW ConnectedDrive services, Forward Collision Warning, Pedestrian Protection and City Collision Mitigation. The parking assist package includes a rear-view camera, Park Assistant, which helps take advantage of tight parallel parking opportunities, and Front Auto Park Distance Control.

BMW i3 sales represented almost 2% of BMW passenger car sales in the American market during its first month in the market, and climbed to 5.4% in September 2014. During 2014 about 3,000 were sold in California, representing about half of total U.S. sales that year. In addition to California, other major regional markets are Texas and southern Florida. Although BMW does not report the break down of U.S. sales by BEV and REx trim, based on production figures, it is estimated that as of June 2014, the REx/BEV ratio for the American market is to 3:2. A total of 22,488 BMW i3s have been sold in the U.S. through July 2016.

Mexico

Deliveries to retails customers began in Mexico City in late September 2014.

South America

Brazil

In September 2014 the BMW i3 became the first plug-in electric car available for retail sales in Brazil. Due to the country's high import taxes and lack of government incentives for electric drive vehicles, the i3 pricing starts at R$225,900 (~ US$98,500) for the all-electric model and at R$235.950 (~ US$102,600) for the REx model. The i3 is available only in eight cities: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Curitiba, Brasilia, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Recife, and Joinville. BMW announced that a stock of 130 units has been reserved for the Brazilian market. Owners of the i3 registered in São Paulo are exempted from the city's driving restriction scheme (Portuguese: rodízio veicular). About 30 units have been sold in São Paulo by the end of September 2014.

Colombia

Presales started in October 2014 and the first shippings were expected to be made in early December 2014. Pricing starts at COP$154.9 million (~US$49,000). All-electric cars priced in Colombia under US$52,000 are exempted from import duties between 2013 and 2016, and limited to 750 units imported per year. Since its introduction, i3 sales totaled 25 units through June 2015.

Other countries

Deliveries in other Latin America countries are scheduled to begin by late 2014, including Chile.

Global sales

The following table presents annual retail sales or registrations of the top selling national markets through December 2015 for both variants of the BMW i3, except when noted.

BMW i3 sales/registrations by country 2013 – 2015
Country	Cumulative 2013–2015	2015	2014	2013
United States[174][175]	17,116	11,024	6,092
Germany[102][103][104]	5,063	2,271	2,233	559
Norway[106][107][108]	4,494	2,403	2,040	51
United Kingdom[176][177]	3,747	2,213	1,393	141
France[126][127][128]	1,497	822	607	68(1)
Switzerland[145]	1,384	888	390	106
Netherlands[135][136][137]	1,371	574	545	252
Denmark[122]	874	645	138	1
Belgium[178][179][180]	771	386	353	32
Sweden[144][181]	600	379	210	11
Canada[182]	566	367	199
Austria[183]	538	228	296	14
Italy[132][184][185]	525	262	229	34
Spain[141][142][186]	482	251	204	27
Japan[187]	400(2)	NA	400(2)
Europe[95][120][121]	23,268	12,047	9,744	1,477
Global sales[95][96][97]	41,586	24,057	16,052	1,477
Notes: (1) Figure does not includes REx version sales in France. (2) Sales in Japan only between April and August 2014.

Design quirks and oddities

The Grand Tour presenter James May owns a BMW i3

Awards

The BMW i3 was selected by the Green Car Journal as one of the five finalists for the 2012 Green Car Vision Award. In July 2013, the Wired and The Christian Science Monitormedia sources published favorable reviews for the model.

The BMW i3 won the Car Design of the Year award for 2013 in the production category at the 2014 Geneva Auto Show. The i3 was selected by a panel of senior design directors. The other runners up in the production category were the Jaguar F-Type Coupe and Porsche 918 Spyder. The i3 also received an iF Product Design Gold Award for "the incorporation of sustainability in all facets of the interieur and exterieur design.”

The BMW i3 was selected as finalist in three categories for the 2014 World Car of the YearAwards. At the 2014 New York International Auto Show was announced as the winner of the 2014 World Green Car of the Year and also 2014 World Car Design of the Year.

In the first UK Car of the Year Awards, the BMW i3 won in two categories, UK Car of the Year 2014 and Best Super-mini of 2014. The winners in each category were voted for by a panel of 27 motoring journalists in the UK.^[196] The i3 was also a finalist of the 2014 European Car of the Year awards. It ended up voted in second place.^[197] The i3 was ranked first in Kelley Blue Book Top 10 Best Green Cars for 2014. At the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show the BMW i3 was announced as the winner of Green Car Journal's 2015 Green Car of the Year Award.

In Australia, the BMW i3 was awarded the 2014 Wheels Car of the Year by Wheels Magazine considered Australia's most prestigious automotive award.The BMW i3 is the first all-electric car to win the award. This was the first time BMW Australia won Wheels Car of the Year since the awards were established over 50 years ago in 1963.

See Also

This page uses some content from Wikipedia. The original article was at BMW i3. The list of authors can be seen in the page history. As with Autopedia, the text of Wikipedia is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.

External Links

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News and References

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