OH SNAP! Tesla Chief Engineer Compares BMW i3 To Ikea Furniture!

Tesla CEO Elon Musk is unapologetically bashful of the competition, but the latest diatribe from the company comes not from the outspoken head, but rather from its chief designer, Franz von Holzhausen.

von Holzhausen seems to have a distaste for the BMW i3, which he says is more like an IKEA piece of furniture in the way it is designed. Speaking with German magazine Autobild, he pegged the boxy electric hatchback as “the myth of the Ultimate Driving Machine,” as it does not meet the “basic standards of the brand.” He likes the car’s modern interior, but says the exterior looks funky and unconventional, an unnecessary choice considering that the proportions provided by electric powertrains are unique enough.

vdiv - 12/9/2013 11:10:49 AM

+2 Boost

Tell me he isn't right!

I love electric cars and I am very ecstatic that BMW has finally started selling one, but every time I look at the i3 I cringe. That is not what an EV should look like!

Frankly Ikea should be offended by this comparison, their furniture looks a whole lot better and rather more comfortable.

BMW's saving face is the i8 with rather huge caveats. It's got a very limited EV range, it costs a lot, it is not practical, and oh yeah, it is still rather controversially looking.

610looper - 12/9/2013 11:27:55 AM

+1 Boost

lol, expect Ikea to respond shortly..

cidflekken - 12/9/2013 11:33:07 AM

+1 Boost

Great, now Ikea is going to now say they are the "BMW of furniture"

MattDarringer - 12/10/2013 8:38:39 AM

+1 Boost

He's right. The i3 is ugly and utterly useless as a real car. It is an engineering embarrassment.

commander104 - 12/10/2013 8:51:19 AM

+1 Boost

Ikea, I have guests coming over. Can you loan me extra furniture for the guests?

CarCrazedinCali - 12/10/2013 2:09:36 PM

+1 Boost

having driven the i3 personally, I think Tesla needs to be smarter about their comments, trashy talk is classless and reflects poorly on Tesla.

SuperTurtlePlus - 12/11/2013 10:56:06 PM

+1 Boost

The i3 may drive like a dream, unfortunately it looks like a nightmare. Von Holzhausen is only saying what just about everyone who's seen the car was thinking.

I admit to not having seen one in the wild, though I am not sure it would make a difference.

CarCrazedinCali - 12/21/2013 5:29:41 PM

+1 Boost

I don't think it is ugly, but that's just me