Nailed It! Why BMW's i3 Will Be The First Successful Mass-Produced EV

On Monday, BMW streamed video of the world premiere of the company’s first mass-production electric car. The i3 is a funky-looking four-seater that Wired is calling “the most innovative thing to come out of Munich in a decade.”

Here are a few of the reasons why it’s so innovative — and why it may prove to be more practical and appealing than its battery-powered peers:

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Maulvader - 7/30/2013 12:39:31 PM

+1 Boost

I see what you did there (changing the original title from "... May Be the Most Popular Electric Car Yet" to "Will Be The First Successful Mass-Produced EV").

You might wanna glance over the comments in the original story to see how alone you are with your demented theory.

Agent009 - 7/30/2013 1:50:10 PM

+1 Boost

??? Just wait and you will witness the first successful EV on the market.

IE: First profitable to the automaker, and affordable to the right buyer. This isn't an oversized golf cart or a loss leader.

RNeekChic - 7/30/2013 1:59:14 PM

+1 Boost

You're funny Agent009...."Affordable to the right buyer" essentially EVERY vehicle is affordable to the "RIGHT" buyer....

Agent009 - 7/30/2013 3:04:22 PM

+1 Boost

I take exception to that... The Volt, e500, are way over priced for their segment when there is no subsidy and even with the subsidy you need a tax credit and favorable lease to make it work. Also both automakers are losing their butt on each one sold.

The i3 caters to a more upscale market that has no problem dumping $40K on a Beemer. (better client base) It is also designed to be profitable from the get go. (sustainablility)

Big differences...

GM subscribes to at the old adage... "Yeah we lose $10k on each one sold, but we will make it up with volume"...

Yonder7 - 7/30/2013 7:02:13 PM

+1 Boost

Agent009 , I respect your opinion. But Let tell this. MOST of the BMWs or MBs and Audis , has to be good looking cars to sale. All Ugly cars of BMW, AUDI or MB, ALWAYS fail. The exception to the rule is the SUVs , most are ugly but the people who buy them , does that for practicality. This Car is UGLY as hell , inside have no sense of design at all, and most of the buyers will be (most likely) Hollywood stars or people that want scream to the world that they are eco friendly. For 40, I prefer to buy the most cheaper BMW with the smaller engine that they can offer and I wont have sport shoe with tires. It looks like some one with constipation problems. Even the Prius looks better than this , and I can bet with you , it wont sale as the Prius (even with the right people). But lets talk to the time. I think it will have the same fate as the 5GT and the 3GT.. Lets see..

topneuro - 7/31/2013 12:34:58 AM

+1 Boost

There is already "The First Successful Mass-Produced EV", is called the NIssan Leaf, worldwide production up to date since 2011 over 50,000 vehicles.

94geo - 7/31/2013 10:17:00 AM

+1 Boost

I suspect BMW plans to sell over 50k I3s A year!

thetruth01 - 7/31/2013 1:29:57 PM

0 Boost

Someone on another site summed this nonsense up well when they countered BMW's claims of profitability on day 1. "The first i3 must retail for 2.7 billion dollars." There really is no way this car will be profitable. BMW knows this. The marketing hype says otherwise, but only the very best creative ENRON accountants could make the case that this monstrosity will actually be profitable.

The i3 will be less sucessful than some EVs already on the market (Volt, Leaf, and especially Tesla), and the car itself may never actually turn a profit for BMW.