BMW Anticipates US Launch Of i3 By Boosting Production

BMW has ramped up production of its i3 electric car to 100 vehicles a day, ahead of its launch in the United States this month, board member Harald Krueger said.

"The United States will be the biggest market for the i3. Because of this, we have started raising production levels and are currently at around 100 cars a day," Krueger said on Tuesday.

A BMW spokesman said that production levels at the factory in Leipzig, Germany, had previously stood at about 70 vehicles a day.

Read Article

MattDarringer - 4/15/2014 12:52:48 PM

-2 Boost

All the BMW greenies will buy one immediately, but once that's done, this will be as dead as the ELR. It's simply too ugly and graceless to take seriously.

CarCrazedinCali - 4/15/2014 1:21:13 PM

0 Boost

have you driven one Matt? didn't think so...

MattDarringer - 4/15/2014 1:42:07 PM

-2 Boost

@CarCrazedinCali I can afford NOT to drive an ugly car, THANK YOU! LOL I don't care if it gets 1000mpg it's too ugly to be seen in and too expensive to look that ugly. But be my guest! Be a BMW fanboy that is 100% sure it is amazing when you haven't driven one either. This is "self-pleasuring" engineering on BMW's part. If they were serious about being green, their bread and butter lines would be fully hybridized.

CarCrazedinCali - 4/15/2014 1:52:36 PM

-1 Boost

Matt, why are you so defensive? I drove one at an AutoShow and was impressed with it's styling (clearly subjective), power delivery and features. It is well made and a nice electric option IMO. Hybrid 3 series already available more electrified BMWs coming soon... S

Car4Life - 4/15/2014 1:37:46 PM

0 Boost

wishful producing...I've drove one at an event in Munich, not bad, but I nearly lost my lunch and pride when I got out & looked at what I was driving...

Nice Alloys though

DTMFan - 4/15/2014 6:52:16 PM

+2 Boost

Checked one out at my local dealer, It's not to bad, would actually suit my needs perfectly. It's not great looking, but there's far worse out there.

Would I bite the bullet and get one? No... just not yet comfortable with the idea of it. I had a leaf as a demo car for a couple of days, and actually electric power is great... I'm just... not... quite convinced.

skytop - 4/15/2014 7:18:39 PM

+1 Boost

The I3 will cut heavily into the Toyota and Nissan electric sales.

mre30 - 4/16/2014 3:08:27 PM

+2 Boost

I'll be curious to see how it does. It looks somewhat cartoonish - a bit like a movie prop from a futuristic dystopian fantasy - like TRON or Logan's Run.

I have a difficult time visualizing myself driving one.

I think this BMW i3, the Fisker Karma, and the Cadillac ELR will be the anchor exhibits in the "what went wrong with faux-hybrid electric cars" exhibit.