Los Angeles, CA -- Another auto show, another showing of BMW “i” concepts.
This time, the much-seen i8 Concept -- which foreshadows an upcoming high-performance coupe in a plug-in hybrid format -- was joined by the never-seen i3 Concept Coupe. The latter is a two-door version of the already-seen 5-door i3 Concept. Unlike the i8, the i3 vehicles will be pure electric, with an optional range extender.
BMW felt this “i” sub-brand was needed to distinguish BMW’s most out-there green vehicles.
Ready to run
“The i3 will launch at the end of 2013, and the i8 will follow in early 2014,” said the man who should know, Jacob Harb, Manager of Electric Vehicle Sales and Strategy, BMW of North America.
We sat down with Harb for an “i-chat” shortly after BMW’s press conference at the L.A. Auto Show.
First off, we wanted to know if it would be a “hard” launch or a “soft” launch characterized by a slow rollout and lots of fleet action before regular customers can get their hands on the i vehicles.
Harb said the launch would go “nationwide, right from beginning.” That’s possible, he noted, because the engineering phase is all but complete, with the MiniE and ActiveE demonstration vehicles, which were given to selected customers for feedback and development purposes. (ActiveE is a retrofitted 1 Series.)
“When that's done, we’ll run far and fast…” Harb stated.
Beyond electronauts
Harb applauded the enthusiasm and diligence of MiniE and ActiveE testers. At BMW they are affectionally known as “electronauts.”
BMW knows that for EV sales to take off it needs to reach beyond passionate first adopters. Harb said that might be a challenge, but also a huge opportunity. He noted it is not unlike the MP3 player experience, where many makes and models were in the market, before the iPod came in and took control.
“The i3 is going to be the iPod of electric vehicles. It will be compelling enough, and deliver on every product attribute you could want. It will drive people to electric cars.”
Carbon-fibre enabled
According to Farb, BMW’s EV offerings will stand out in the marketplace because they will leverage the company’s significant investment in carbon fibre. The i3’s carbon fibre passenger compartment will be made at a plant BMW opened recently in Washington State. With new processes and economies of scale, Farb said BMW will start to drive down the price of carbon fibre components.
Dollars and sense
All BMW will say about i3 pricing at this point, is that it will be less than a 5 Series.
And speaking of dollars, we asked Harb if BMW can make money designing, building and selling EVs right away, or will it be more of a long-term investment in the movement?
“The car is not a loss leader by any stretch,” Harb noted. “We just don't operate that way. We have great engineers. But we also have great controllers!”
This time, the much-seen i8 Concept -- which foreshadows an upcoming high-performance coupe in a plug-in hybrid format -- was joined by the never-seen i3 Concept Coupe. The latter is a two-door version of the already-seen 5-door i3 Concept. Unlike the i8, the i3 vehicles will be pure electric, with an optional range extender.
BMW felt this “i” sub-brand was needed to distinguish BMW’s most out-there green vehicles.
Ready to run
“The i3 will launch at the end of 2013, and the i8 will follow in early 2014,” said the man who should know, Jacob Harb, Manager of Electric Vehicle Sales and Strategy, BMW of North America.
We sat down with Harb for an “i-chat” shortly after BMW’s press conference at the L.A. Auto Show.
First off, we wanted to know if it would be a “hard” launch or a “soft” launch characterized by a slow rollout and lots of fleet action before regular customers can get their hands on the i vehicles.
Harb said the launch would go “nationwide, right from beginning.” That’s possible, he noted, because the engineering phase is all but complete, with the MiniE and ActiveE demonstration vehicles, which were given to selected customers for feedback and development purposes. (ActiveE is a retrofitted 1 Series.)
“When that's done, we’ll run far and fast…” Harb stated.
Beyond electronauts
Harb applauded the enthusiasm and diligence of MiniE and ActiveE testers. At BMW they are affectionally known as “electronauts.”
BMW knows that for EV sales to take off it needs to reach beyond passionate first adopters. Harb said that might be a challenge, but also a huge opportunity. He noted it is not unlike the MP3 player experience, where many makes and models were in the market, before the iPod came in and took control.
“The i3 is going to be the iPod of electric vehicles. It will be compelling enough, and deliver on every product attribute you could want. It will drive people to electric cars.”
Carbon-fibre enabled
According to Farb, BMW’s EV offerings will stand out in the marketplace because they will leverage the company’s significant investment in carbon fibre. The i3’s carbon fibre passenger compartment will be made at a plant BMW opened recently in Washington State. With new processes and economies of scale, Farb said BMW will start to drive down the price of carbon fibre components.
Dollars and sense
All BMW will say about i3 pricing at this point, is that it will be less than a 5 Series.
And speaking of dollars, we asked Harb if BMW can make money designing, building and selling EVs right away, or will it be more of a long-term investment in the movement?
“The car is not a loss leader by any stretch,” Harb noted. “We just don't operate that way. We have great engineers. But we also have great controllers!”
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| The i8 will launch in early 2014. (Photo: BMW) |
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| The i3 vehicles will be pure electric, with an optional range extender. (Photo: BMW) |
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