Saturday, April 9, 2022

BMW i3 -BIRTH & DEATH OF AN INNOVATOR by John Crawford

“Therefore, after a decade of setting the standard in its class and leading the way for today’s generation of electric cars, the decision has been taken to discontinue BMW i3 production from summer 2022.”

 

And so, with that concise paragraph we say farewell to one of the most innovative EVs which we welcomed at almost the very start of the EV revolution, in 2012.

 

BMW’s i3 was indeed a pacesetter, full of innovation, carefully-calculated engineering and a range of added features such as environmentally-friendly interior materials, and  a series of very high quality standards applied to just about everything in the total production of this unusual BMW.



At the start of the program, BMW displayed a skeletal model of the i3 in its Park Lane showroom in London, and even if you only saw the photos rather than the model itself, you could not help but appreciate the common sense, innovative thinking and daring approach to its construction and performance.


Photo: Ash Gupta

Of all the EVs I have driven since the i3 graced my driveway in December 2016, I don’t think I have enjoyed one as much.



However, next week brings the KIA EV6 to my home, and that’s a test drive I am very much looking forward to.

But, regardless of the relentless pursuit of even more clever engineering and design that the EV6 may represent, the BMW i3 will be remembered as one of the original ‘stars’ of the genre.



Reading through BMW’s fond farewell statement, I can’t help but feel that the company’s next entries in the BEV class may simply represent conventional-looking cars, with battery packs.

How quickly, then, the i3's trend-setting qualities will be consigned BMW's archives.


More than 250,000 i3s were produced in a decade, so I think we could safely call it a success!

 

JOHN CRAWFORD

1 comment:

  1. Well, umm, a total production run of 250,000 over TEN years is not a tour de force. Just sayin'.

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