The mayor of Los Angeles, Eric Garcetti, declared in 2014 that all city-owned vehicles would be converted to electric and plug-in hybrid models. Law enforcement vehicles were a part of the government fleet.
Following that, BMW won a bid with the LAPD to provide 100 BMW i3s annually for three years starting in 2016. The basic 19″ aluminum wheels, the Deka World interior kit, and the base 22kWh battery pack were installed on the i3s. None of the vehicles had the available gasoline range extender, despite the 22kWh battery pack’s 81-mile range on a single charge. If you’re an i3 aficionado, you might have noticed that the 22kWh model wasn’t offered in 2018. This is true; LAPD delayed the shipment of the 2018 i3s.
The initiative wasn’t precisely a success, despite the enthusiasm of Chief Beck and Mayor Garcetti. The enormous cost of $10,267,699, which included charging stations, was the unspeakable issue. Furthermore, due to the “administrative” title given to the vehicles, the majority of LA’s finest i3s only accrued around 20,000 kilometers. The i3s were specifically not made for patrolling.
Additionally, CBS Los Angeles reported some i3s that only traveled a few hundred miles, making the entire scheme seem even more ineffectual. The news probably would not have been made public if LAPD had only a handful of these cars, but the agency possessed 200 $45,000 electric vehicles that were gathering dust in a parking garage.
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There are discounts because the expensive BMW i3 fleet owned by the LAPD is being sold for practically nothing.
Government purchases can help allay your fears that you won’t be able to get fantastic secondhand prices on new electric vehicle batteries in the future due to their potential lack of legacy. BMW i3 electric vehicles from the LAPD fleet are being sold for a pittance.
The sale of at least some of the all-electric BMW i3 hatchbacks used by the Los Angeles Police Department was reported on the site The Current Review, run by high schooler Andrew Lambrecht.
The dealer that initially handled the leases, New Century BMW, is currently marketing them as CPO vehicles. The i3s in the LAPD parking garage have front plates from Century BMW, which is interesting and supports the assertion. Furthermore, all of the Capparis White i3s for sale on Century’s website have Deka World interiors and 19-inch aluminum wheels, and on their Carfax reports, all of them are marked as “government car.” Unfortunately, the value of these i3s was severely damaged, which is bad news for the county of Los Angeles. Even vehicles with four-digit mileage are all listed for sale by LAPD for less than $20,000 each. From their $43,395 initial beginning price, this represents a big difference.
The Current Review also notes that the vehicles had to be classified as “administrative” vehicles rather than patrol vehicles, which is why they have so little mileage because they weren’t actually needed—a problem that was earlier brought up in 2018.
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The LAPD’s sleek BMW i3 program was essentially ineffective, according to critics, and neither on the ground nor in the books.
In addition, the article claims that the program cost over $10 million, including the expense of setting up the infrastructure for a charging network.
23 of the 200 original LAPD electric vehicles were for sale on the dealership’s website at the time the article was published. The used electrics have costs ranging from under $15,000 to under $18,000, which is around $25,000 to $30,000 less than when they were brand new.
So once more, we have four-number mileage, like-new, and still under warranty government vehicles available at costs that are essentially robbing law enforcement (or the dealer, either got the money for these from us the taxpayers anyway). It seems like a perfect deal.
Are BMW i3 models sold in the US?
The 2017 model year (MY) BMW i3 will have a 94 Ah/33 kWh (27.2 kW net useable) battery, allowing for enhanced range, according to a May 2016 announcement from BMW. Without changing the external dimensions, the battery pack capacity was raised by more than 50%. In order to increase the energy density of the lithium ion cells and thus the battery capacity and overall battery energy, BMW and Samsung SDI improved the cell-internal packaging with more electrolyte and modified the active material. The updated battery comprises an electronics package with new software mapping for the electric motor and battery cooling system. Both the all-electric i3 and the i3 with the range extender can use the 94 Ah battery pack. The weight was 1,320 kg (2,910 lb) with the larger battery and increased to 1,440 kg (3,170 lb) with the range extender.
The 94 Ah battery in the Range Extender (REx) model is identical to that in the all-electric vehicle. Thanks to a fuel tank that is practically 25% bigger than the previous model, the 2017 REx model offers more range on the American market. Although the fuel tank is physically unaltered, BMW previously used software tailored to the American market to lock out a portion of the tank in order to comply with requirements for vehicles with range extenders because the car had a greater range when running on gasoline than when running entirely on electricity, which would affect its status as a zero-emissions vehicle (ZEV) in California.
In July 2016, the i3 for the 2017 model year went on sale in Europe and the United States. BMW reports that orders for the bigger battery i3 have surpassed 7,000 units as of August 10th, with 2,358 i3s delivered globally in July, an increase of 33.7% year over year. With 1,479 units sold in July 2016, sales increased by 58.2% from July 2015 and by 143.3% from June 2016. BMW only succeeded in selling 6,276 i3s in the United States in 2017, a 17 percent decrease from 2016. For models from 2017 or 2018, a purchase incentive of up to $10,000 was offered.
Beginning in July 2016, both models with the upgraded battery were supposed to be accessible in the UK, Germany, and France. In some markets, owners of prior i3 models can refit their vehicles with the enhanced battery. The 22 kWh spent batteries will be put to use by BMW in the creation of stationary energy storage systems. In the United States, there is no option for battery retrofit.
Is there a BMW i3 substitute available?
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 (along with the i8 sports car).
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.
The BMW i3 is still offered, right?
BMW i3 is no longer available. The final 18 examples of BMW’s first electric vehicle were delivered a few days ago. After producing almost 250,000 BMW i3s in Leipzig, the company stopped making the electric pioneer at the end of June.
Galvanic Gold Metallic i3 vehicles make up the final 18 vehicles that were delivered at the BMW Welt in Munich. “The BMW Welt has long been a hub for interaction and invention. Therefore, it was more than appropriate that the impulsive BMW i3 received a brilliant and respectful send-off for its final delivery “the manufacturer says.
BMW has identified a direct substitute for the i3 model name while the four-meter-long electric car with its distinctive carbon-fibre shell is being decommissioned without a replacement. The BMW i3 eDrive 35L has been leaving the production line at the new Lydia facility in Shenyang, China, since mid-May, when the i3 was still running in Leipzig. Despite the nomenclature being identical, the electric automobile based on the BMW 3 Series is completely different from the European i3.
The BMW i3 has sold in 74 countries since it first went on sale in 2013. The i3’s registration numbers rapidly grew with the second battery update in 2018 to 42.2 kWh gross. 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. According to the German automaker, the series passed the 250,000 unit mark in 2022, ranking it among the most popular electric vehicles globally in the premium compact sector.
BMW has not yet introduced a predecessor in the market or, it would seem, has transferred this responsibility to its subsidiary Mini. The BMW i3 was supposed to be discontinued in 2024 according to earlier reports from 2019, but we only learned about it in January. The i3’s early demise coincides with the Leipzig plant’s restructuring in preparation for the commencement of production of the new generation Mini Countryman. The new EV, built on BMW’s FAAR front-wheel drive architecture, will debut in Leipzig in 2023.
According to reports, Mini won’t introduce a new model with an internal combustion engine option again until 2025. Only all-electric vehicles will then be released, making Mini an all-EV brand by 2030.
BMW, however, still seems unsure. The new class, or Neue Klasse as the German automaker refers to its next-generation cars, will include a new 3-series model, but how it will look and how it will drive are still up in the air.
One could argue that it would be wonderful to see some of the innovative souls from the BMW i3 return as soon as possible.
Where is BMW i3 produced?
After eight and a half years and 250,000 units produced, the production of the BMW i3/i3s has ended.
The BMW i3 was created in the BMW Group facility in Leipzig, Germany, and distributed to more than 74 nations.
It was a ground-breaking vehicle for the business as it was one of the first standalone all-electric models to hit the market and the first series battery-electric model from BMW.
A passenger cell built of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and an aluminum chassis made the BMW i3 a distinctive vehicle.
The business also marketed a REx (range-extender version) of the i3/i3s, which has a small gasoline engine for emergency use, in addition to the 100% electric i3/i3s (sporty version). The car’s battery capacity increased over time, from 21.6 kWh in the first iteration to 33.2 kWh (27.2 kWh useable) and 42.2 kWh for up to 307 km (191 miles) of WLTP range.
According to BMW, it is also the most popular electric vehicle in the world in the premium compact sector with 250,000 units sold worldwide.
BMW i3 production ceased at the end of June 2022. The last 10 are unique BMW i3s HomeRun Edition models. The completion of the automobiles in the assembly hall was open to customers.
HomeRun Edition trim for the BMW i3:
- Frozen Dark Grey or Frozen Dark Red II are two new BMW Individual paint colors.
- Double-spoke light alloy wheels measuring 20 inches in diameter
- a glass roof that is electrically powered
- solar-controlling glass
- LED headlights that can adjust
- Vernasca Dark Truffle leather upholstery, a leather instrument panel, a leather steering wheel with galvanized detailing, a Carum Grey roof lining, ambient lighting, and the welcome light are all examples of the high-quality interior design of the suite.
- The Comfort package, Driving Assistant Plus, Professional navigation, wireless charging for phones, a Harman Kardon hi-fi sound system, and online entertainment with music flat rate are all included.
Some BMW i3/i3s electric vehicle components, such as battery modules or drive units, were also utilised in other EVs. The MINI Cooper SE specifically uses e-drive components (although in the front-wheel-drive configuration). Additionally, battery modules can be found in Torqeedo electric motorboats, Turkish Karsan electric buses, and Streetscooter vehicles used by the German postal service.
Due to the planned release of the next-generation fully electric MINI Countryman, the BMW Group Plant Leipzig will become the first BMW Group facility to produce both BMW and MINI vehicles.