BMW is in “the final stages” of deciding which type of model it will add to its line-up of i electric vehicles, according to the company’s board member for sales and marketing, Ian Robertson.
BMW i Vision Dynamics previews i5 production model
The German manufacturer is said to have been weighing up the merits of two different vehicle configurations for the next car, which is widely tipped to be badged i5. One car is a lengthened version of the BMW i3 - almost a mini-MPV - while the other is said to be a saloon that could rival Tesla’s forthcoming Model 3.
Read our review on the BMW i3
“You will see more i products,” said Robertson, “and we are in the final stages of deciding what the next car will be and when you’ll see it.” An unveiling to coincide with BMW’s centenary celebrations next spring seems likely - and Robertson said, “We will look back 100 years at that point, but mainly into the future.”
Robertson also admitted that the i3’s modest sales figures are being governed by demand, rather than the industrialisation and production issues that troubled the vehicle at the start of its life. “We see lots of outside factors involved,” he said, “including range anxiety, incentives in some countries but not in others, and the price of fuel [in the United States]. But sales of the i3 are up 60% year on year and it’s the third best-selling EV in the world. We’re convinced the i steps have been right.”
The i8 sports car is considered more of a retail success than its smaller brother, with a healthy waiting list of orders.
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Anyway, with all the coal
A mass swap to electric cars (while good for urban air quality) would just make things worse...
Mikey C wrote: Anyway, with
There are two factors here you need to consider though. 1) Whilst it is likely that there will be more of a struggle at peak demand, it would be possible to charge the car up from 10PM to 8AM and not cause a problem. 2) Refining petrol/diesel takes up an awful lot of electricity, which comes straight from the national grid. From Coal power stations as well, making petrol/diesel emissions significantly higher than just the tailpipe ones out the back when one considers well to wheel.
silly question, but...
Answer
If you can't plug it in at night for 7 hours whilst you're asleep don't buy one.
xxxx wrote: russ13b wrote:
What about the time when you're at work?
Work
Don't buy the car if your daily commute is > 100 miles or buy the range extender version, simples!
25k+ annual miles...
If your daily commute is >100 miles (25k+ per annum), it might be financially unwise to put your money into an expensive vehicle, least of all a range extender, depreciation would likely be a killer blow and obliterate other savings.
That goes for any car
It was an extreme example (but at least there would be savings!) and I too would spend about £8,000 on a secondhand car to a 25,000k commute. But perhaps it shows the i3 and Leaf range is already nearly there!
the point
@russ13b
Someone wrote an article in
winniethewoo wrote: Someone
Agreed that the network can be a huge problem, but I think if you know your daily needs are 50 miles max (which is more than most people find theres are), you would only need the home charger and would get used to it very quickly.
You obviously haven't driven in one Norma.
The i8 is also a good sports car, again built differently to the norm and that certainly does accelerate spiritedly although I do wonder about the other, more conventional, cars available at around the same price.