BMW to discontinue its i3 electric hatchback soon, blame it on diminishing sales

The production of BMW i3, the first series-production model of BMW i, will be reportedly phased out later this year. As per a report by Autocar, a BMW spokesperson informed the final i3 will be rolled out of the assembly line in July.

The US trim of the model went out of production last year following diminishing sales, however, the EV has been a hit in the European region as sales figures reflected increasing demand until the pandemic hit.

The company spokesperson explained the i3 EV will not get a direct successor as the automaker wants customers to gauge its other electric vehicles. “Today’s customers wanting a fully-electric city car perfectly tailored for urban driving or a compact, but spacious, vehicle for an active lifestyle will be perfectly served by the MINI Electric or the upcoming BMW iX1," reportedly said the spokesperson.

The BMW i3 electric vehicle was introduced in 2013. It was the first innovative vehicle concept from the Bavarian automaker based on providing sustainable mobility solutions. The electric motor of the EV generated a maximum power output of 170 hp and a peak torque of 250 Nm. It came with a single-speed transmission and the power flowed to the rear wheels of the vehicle.

The BMW i3 had a lower centre gravity as the battery units were centrally placed. The battery of the EV provided the user with a range of 130 to 160 km when it was fully charged from a conventional domestic power socket, BMW i Wallbox or public charging station.

In the i range, currently, BMW offers BMW iX, BMW iX M60, BMW i4 and BMW iX3. The company recently launched the BMW iX in India at a price point of ₹1.16 crores. The electric vehicle promises a range of 425 km on a single charge.

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