BMW has officially responded to rumours about the future of the i3 by confirming that the initiator of its i-range of electric or plug-in hybrid vehicles will not be replaced when it reaches the end of its current production lifecycle.
Despite reported global sales of 150 000 units since its debut in 2013 with some 25 000 sold this year alone, BMW Management Board Member of Sales and Marketing, Pieter Nota, in an effective confirmation of comments made two months ago, told the Financial Times that the mainstream inclusion of electrification has not warranted the i3 being carried over for a second generation.
“There’s no specific plan for an i3 successor. We are now bringing electrification more to the mainstream,” Nota said.
Facelifted in 2017 with the introduction of a sporty ‘s’ model that boasted subtle exterior upgrades and a more powerful battery pack, the i3 is expected to remain in production throughout the remainder of 2019 and possibly 2020 given that sales have actually increased by 21% over the first quarter of this year compared to 2018, though it is unlikely to see out 2021.
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