In July 2022, BMW will stop making the i3 in Leipzig. This is most likely due to the plant’s changeover to the production of upcoming electric vehicles.
According to a manufacturing representative quoted in the British magazine Autocar, production has come to an end. As a result, the information can be regarded as fact and not as conjecture. Oliver Zipse, the CEO of BMW, continued to say that the i3 would be produced in Leipzig through 2024 in December 2019. It was still believed at the time that the i3 will get another model update to make it marketable by 2024. An earlier end is now more plausible because such an update did not occur.
The i3’s now-apparently-early demise coincides with the Leipzig plant’s restructuring in the second half of 2022 in anticipation of the start of production of the new generation Mini Countryman, which, according to reports, will also be produced at the Leipzig BMW plant starting in 2023 with a pure electric drive. The production facilities for the Countryman will need to be rebuilt using BMW’s FAAR front-wheel drive architecture because the i3 is based on a stand-alone platform with an aluminum chassis and carbon fiber passenger cell.
Because the iX1 electric variant of the new X1 will debut later this year, the BMW i3 is also being phased out. Originally, a new production facility in Debrecen, Hungary, was going to be used to construct the iX1. It will now be manufactured at the BMW facility in Regensburg until 2024 as a result of construction delays, according to Autocar. Despite being around 40 centimeters longer than the i3, the interior space of the iX1 is comparable to that of the i3 thanks to its combustion engine base. Because of this, and despite the iX1’s unusual body concept, BMW intends to present it as a sort of successor.
In October 2021, the i3, which was introduced in 2013, has reached 200,000 units produced. BMW anticipates producing 250,000 copies of the i3 by the time it is retired in July 2022. The 2018 battery update to 42.2 kWh gross resulted in a steady rise in the number of i3 registrations. The nine-year-old model still registered 12,178 new vehicles in Germany in 2021, placing it 10th among all electric vehicles, ahead of the Opel Corsa-e, Audi e-tron, and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
The fate of the BMW i3 had already been the subject of numerous rumors. In response to rumors concerning the model’s future at the end of 2019, Zipse has indicated, as previously reported, that production of the i3 would “continue beyond 2024.” Then, in June 2021, it was made public that BMW intended to stop selling the i3 in the US as early as July 2022, which is the current confirmed end-of-production date for the model. In terms of naming, the demise of the i3 is also intriguing: A completely electric BMW 3 Series will be introduced in China, and it may carry the i3 moniker.
In This Article...
BMW will shortly stop producing its i3 electric hatchback, blaming declining sales for the decision.
The 2013 BMW i3 is the company’s first electric vehicle.
The range of the BMW i3 is 130 to 160 kilometers on a single charge.
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The first BMW I vehicle in series production, the i3, is reportedly going out of production later this year. According to a report by Autocar, a BMW representative said the last i3 will come off the assembly line in July.
The model’s US trim was discontinued last year because to declining sales, but the EV has been quite popular in Europe since up until the epidemic, sales figures showed rising demand.
After nine years, manufacture of the BMW i3 will end in July.
After a run of nine years and approximately 250,000 units sold, the BMW i3 is scheduled to stop manufacturing in less than six months.
The BMW i3 was the first BMW model to feature a pure-electric driveline, ahead of the larger, Chinese-produced BMW iX3 announced in 2021. It was first shown as a concept car in 2011 and launched in the UK in 2013.
Sadly, the BMW i3’s production has now come to an end.
Even if the inventive little BMW i3 has been on life support for some time, it is nevertheless difficult to accept BMW’s news that production has come to a stop.
Yes, the i3 has officially died eight and a half years after its debut. Just a few days ago, according to BMW, the 250,000th copy was produced in Leipzig, and the last ten vehicles received a special HomeRun edition specification.
The HomeRun variants come with 20-inch wheels, new Frozen Dark Grey or Frozen Red II paint finishes, and practically every i3 option imaginable. It sounds like certain component bins needed to be cleaned out. That entails a heated leather instrument panel, wireless charging, a rear-view camera, an electric glass roof, adaptive LED headlights, heated leather seats in “Vernasca Dark Truffle,” a Harman Kardon speaker system, and more.
Why We Won’t Miss The BMW i3
It is extremely heartbreaking to see BMW discontinue its little electric hatchback after nine years on the market given how great it was.
In 2011, as interest in electric vehicles increased, the BMW i3 was first unveiled as a concept car. The design was later evolved into a working model that was released for purchase in 2013 as a 2014 model. The BMW i3 has enjoyed considerable success since that time. The compact electric hatchback from BMW has sold over 250,000 units and was named the World Car Design and World Green Car of the Year winners at the 2014 World Car Awards.
Unfortunately, all wonderful things must eventually come to an end. BMW terminated the i3 in all markets in July 2022 after ceasing manufacturing for the US market in July 2021. The company cited consumer demand for larger-than-the-i3 electric automobiles as justification for the withdrawal. Another reason is that the manufacturer wants to move away from the i3’s distinctive appearance and produce electric vehicles with more traditional styling. The BMW i4 and BMW iX models are taking the place of the i3 as a result. We are sad to see the i3 depart, but there are other reasons as well.
Sales of the BMW i3 weren’t too bad.
Forbes points out that despite the BMW i3 still being phased out, the i3s sales have climbed every year. From 2014 to 2016, it was the third most popular electric car in the world, and by 2020, it had sold around 40,000 cars. Even yet, the i3 received honors including World Car Design of the Year. In 2014, it was also named the World Green Car of the Year.
When creating its first electric vehicle, BMW experimented with various ideas. They are now able to see a future for BMW that is powered by electricity. The fully electric BMW iX and BMW i4 Gran Coupe, both of which will be available in the US early next year, are the first examples of BMW’s next generation of electric vehicles. According to a statement from BMW, “the success of the BMW i3 and the experience gained in developing and manufacturing it have laid the groundwork for the next generation of BMW electric vehicles.”
What does the BMW i3 replace?
After nine years of production, BMW has declared that the i3 is no longer being made, putting an end to the inventive and long-lasting little electric car.
Just a few weeks after the model reached a production run of more than a quarter of a million, the final i3 came off the production line in Leipzig, Germany. Ten units of the i3 HomeRun Edition, an ultra-exclusive special edition model with the company’s “Frozen paint finish,” have been ordered to commemorate the event.
The i3 was originally seen by the public in concept form at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011, and when the production vehicle was introduced in 2013, it substantially resembled the show-car design.
The upright proportions, glass tailgate, two-tone paint job, and dipping shoulder line all deviated from the typical BMW design cues that customers had grown accustomed to. It launched BMW’s new “i” sub-brand, which was one of the factors contributing to the bizarre appearance.
Rear-hinged doors are always interesting, and they undoubtedly contributed to the i3’s personality, along with the interior. The technology was updated over the course of its existence to keep it feeling modern. The interior itself featured a low dash and window line for a light and airy atmosphere.
A custom platform made of a combination of aluminum, magnesium, and carbon fiber is positioned below the i3 to keep weight at just over a tonne. Due to the lack of weight, the vehicle’s ultimate fully-electric design had a maximum range of 190 miles.
The UK’s police, fire, and ambulance services all adopted the i3 due to its popularity with emergency services.
There won’t be a direct replacement for the i3, and a completely electric version of the 3 Series saloon is anticipated to receive the i3 badge. The iX1, an electric variant of the new X1 SUV, will be the company’s entry-level EV model.
Will there be a BMW i3 in 2022?
Late last year, we got our first glance at BMW’s completely redesigned i3, which is now a relatively conventional electric sedan rather than a hip urban electric hatchback.
As part of the model’s homologation procedure, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) debuted the 3 Series-based BMW i3 in December.
Now that the electric sedan, whose full name is BMW i3 eDrive35L, has been revealed, we can see it for the first time. The brand-new i3 is produced in the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd joint venture’s plant in Shenyang, Liaoning province, and will only be sold in China starting in May 2022.
The i3 eDrive35L, according to BMW, is “the perfect fit for the specific requirements of Chinese buyers.” It has a wheelbase that is 110 mm (4.3 in) longer than a conventional 3 Series for a more comfortable rear seat and more room for the battery pack.
It is said that because it is a 3 Series, it offers sporty driving dynamics, long-distance comfort, and a broad variety of personalization possibilities. Speaking about dynamics, BMW claims that the BMW Brilliance Automotive Ltd. R&D division in Shenyang has adjusted the suspension system for Chinese road conditions. The division also modified a few of the car’s parts to meet Chinese supply chain specifications.
Is the BMW i3 a secure vehicle?
The 2019 BMW i3 received the highest grade of Good from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in four crash tests, and the second-highest level of Acceptable in the head restraints and seats test.
Is the BMW i3’s maintenance pricey?
The BMW i3 is a fantastic choice for individuals seeking a more environmentally friendly vehicle because it is an all-electric vehicle. However, compared to more conventional BMWs, the i3 will need slightly different upkeep, which will cost owners an average of $1,173 a year.
The most common fault with the 2017 BMW i3 is that the adaptive cruise control does not function well, despite the requirement for more specialized maintenance. Despite this, the i3 remains one of BMW’s most dependable cars. Electrical issues are also reportedly occurring. There haven’t been enough reported problems, yet, to calculate an average repair cost. The i3 has also been subject to recalls, the most recent of which was for the 2019 model year due to a potential crash-causing unexpected power shutdown.