According to a member of the BMW i3 Forum, he was invited to the product introduction of the i3 electric vehicle in the Netherlands. At the event, test drives were given in an Active E, and they had one pre-production model under guard that apparently cost 1 million Euros. The head of the BMW i brand in the Netherlands confirmed that the price of the i3 would be between the Leaf and the Ampera. After a little push, he unofficially confirmed a base price of $37,000 Euros. For comparison, the Nissan Leaf costs 32,839 Euroes and the Ampera costs over $40,000 Euros.
Due to better thermal management during pre-cooling and warming of the car, loss of range in cold weather in the i3 will be basically unnoticeable. 150km of range was confirmed to be for the average driver, not for a super-hyper-miler – it’s a number they expect most drivers to achieve easily.
2013 Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV with i-MiEV in the background
As time goes on, more and more manufacturers are getting in on the EV movement. Whether that means a pure electric vehicle, or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle doesn’t really matter. Almost all ‘world’ vehicle manufacturers have announced an electric vehicle or plug-in electric vehicle that will be released in the next year or two.
One that is the most intriguing is the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV (plug-in hybrid electric vehicle). There are a few reasons it stands out from crow. The Outlander PHEV comes with 4wd – the first ever plug-in vehicle to offer 4 wheel drive capabilities. The Outlander PHEV is also an SUV – right now the Toyota Rav4 EV is the only plug-in capable SUV and it is a fully electric. The Outlander PHEV has 2 electric motors – one drives the front wheel and one drives the rear wheels, giving it full electric 4wd capabilities.
First released in Japan in January of 2014, the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV was an instant hit. Over 500 were sold in the first week alone. Now, as Mitsubishi starts its global rollout plan, the Netherlands was the next country on the list. There are already somewhere over 5000 orders for the Outlander plug-in in the Netherlands.
For more information on the Outlander PHEV, join other owners and enthusiasts on the forum.
BMW is using the i3 as a launch pad for all sorts of interesting technology. One of those technologies is the idea that infrared heaters can be used in electric vehicles like the BMW i3. Infrared heaters don’t heat the air, that in turn has to heat the passengers. Instead, the infrared heaters transmit heat directly to the passengers. The advantage is energy savings – there is less wasted heat used trying to keep the whole interior of a vehicle warm.
BMW envision the infrared heating panels being in the doors of the electric vehicles as well as underneath the passenger footwells. The system can deliver heat in about 1 minute. Another unique advantage is that there is no need for fans (read: silent heating), or for air vents! Can you imagine what sort of crazy dash and interior designs will come out of the lack of heat vents?
There’s no word from BMW that it will be included in the 2013 launch of the BMW i3 electric vehicle, but we can hope can’t we?!
Initially presented as a prototype at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show in Germany, the BMW i3 is now a production vehicle. BMW says the electric i3 will launch in 2013 in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, San Diego, New York City, and the suburban areas of New Jersey and Connecticut.
The BMW i3 launch is planned for September 2013.
BMW i3 is a small electric vehicle that is part of BMW’s project I. Project i has 3 phases. The first was the Mini E testing and demonstration of technology. The second phase is the ActiveE electric vehicle that we are now in the middle of. The last phase of Project i is the development and release of the BMW i3 electric car.
Project i is a program aimed to develop lightweight urban electric vehicles to address the mobility and sustainability needs for people who live in large cities or mega cities. The BMW i3 electric car was originally called the MegaCity by BMW.
Welcome to the BMW i3 blog on WordPress.com! This isn’t a blog associated with BMW, but it is a blog unofficially associated with the i3 and electric vehicles in general. We are passionate about electric vehicles, and we are excited about all of the new models that the major car companies are unveiling in the next few years.
One of the most revolutionary, and perhaps the largest risk, is the BMW i3 electric vehicle. BMW is putting all of their electric vehicle eggs in the i3 basket – and that basket isn’t very big. The i3 is a city car that will be ideal for people that live in large cities and have mid-length commutes.
BMW i3 Forum 