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BMW i
Company typeSub-brand of BMW
IndustryAutomotive industry
Founded2011
ProductsPlug-in electric vehicles
OwnerBMW
ParentBMW

The BMW i is a sub-brand of BMW founded in 2011 to design and manufacture plug-in electric vehicles.[1][2][3] The company's initial plans call for the release of two vehicles; the i3 all-electric car and the i8 plug-in hybrid. Concept versions of both these vehicles were shown at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show.[4]

Series production of the BMW i3 destined for retail customers began in September 2013,[5] and the European market launch took place in November 2013 with the first retail deliveries in Germany.[6] The BMW i8 was launched in Germany in June 2014.[7] The United States, Germany, the UK and Norway are the main markets for both models.

BMW i sales reached the 50,000 unit milestone in January 2016.[8] As of December 2015, the all-electric i3 is the brand's leading model with global sales of over 41,500 units.[9][10][11] Two years after its introduction, the BMW i3 ranked as the world's third best selling all-electric car in history.[12]

History

Project i

BMW's "Project i" is a program created to develop lightweight eco-friendly urban electric car concepts designed to address the mobility and sustainability needs for people who live in megacities.[1][2] According to BMW, "Project i" has three phases. The Mini E demonstration was the first phase of this project, and it was followed by a similar field testing that began in January 2012 with the BMW ActiveE all-electric vehicle. The ActiveE is based on the BMW 1 Series Coupe and is built based on the lessons learned from the Mini E trial. The last phase of "Project i" was the development of the i3 and i8 electric cars.[1][13][14]

The automaker expects that its first series production all-electric drive vehicle will help it achieve an overall fleet fuel economy average of 6.63 L/100 km (35.5 mpg) by 2016, as mandated by U.S. federal regulations. BMW expects high volume sales of the i3 to allow the company to continue selling several of its high-performance cars with low fuel economy in the U.S.[13]

BMW i Park Lane showroom in London.

In February 2011, BMW announced a new sub-brand, BMW i, to market the vehicles produced under Project i. BMW i vehicles are to be sold separately from BMW or Mini. The first two production models are the battery electric Mega City Vehicle, now called BMW i3, and a plug-in hybrid called BMW i8, which is the production version of the Vision Efficient Dynamics concept unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and has an all-electric range of 50 kilometres (31 mi). Production of both plug-in electric cars was scheduled to start in Leipzig in 2013.[3][15]

Global i3 sales passed the 25,000 unit milestone in May 2015.[16] Combined sales of the BMW i brand models reached the 50,000 unit milestone in January 2016.[8]

Stores

The first BMW i store opened in June 2012 at BMW’s London Park Lane showroom. The carmaker premiered an updated version of the BMW i3 concept electric car and unveiled its i Pedelec electric bicycle concept.[17] On November 15, 2013, retail deliveries for the i3 began with a special ceremony in Munich.[6]

Using eDrive in core-brand BMW models

On 1 December 2014, BMW announced the group is planning to offer plug-in hybrid versions of all its core-brand models using eDrive technology developed for its BMW i brand plug-in vehicles. The goal of the company is to use plug-in technology to continue offering high performance vehicles while reducing CO2 emissions below 100g/km. The carmaker is already testing a BMW 3 Series plug-in hybrid prototype.[18]

Products

BMW i8 (left) and i3 (right) concept cars unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt International Motor Show.

As of February 2016, only two models are offered, the BMW i3 all-electric car with optional range-extender (REx), and the BMW i8 plug-in hybrid. As of January 2016, a total of 50,038 units of both i brand vehicles have been sold worldwide since 2013, of which, 17,793 units were sold in 2014, and 29,513 units in 2015.[9][10][11][19] As of December 2015, the U.S. is the top selling market for both plug-ins, with 17,116 BMW i3s (41.2%) and 2,820 BMW i8s (39.2%).[20]

Global i3 sales passed the 25,000 unit milestone in May 2015.[16] Global i brand vehicle sales passed the 30,000 mark in June 2015.[21] As of November 2015, the i3 ranked as the world's third best selling all-electric car in history.[12]

BMW i3

Main article: BMW i3

Design and technology

The BMW i3 is an electric car, BMW's first zero emissions mass-produced vehicle. The i3 is the first volume production vehicle on the market featuring carbon-fiber reinforced plastic.[22] This vehicle gets its power from an electric motor powered by lithium-ion batteries. The i3 is built for everyday use, with an all-electric range of 130 to 160 km (81 to 99 mi). BMW is offering a range extender (“REx”) option powered by a 647 cc two-cylinder gasoline engine with a 9 L (2.0 imp gal; 2.4 US gal) fuel tank that engages when the battery level drops to a pre-specified point, acting purely as a generator to produce electricity to extend the range to about 240 to 300 km (150 to 190 mi).[23]

Production

BMW invested US$100 million to build a plant in Moses Lake, Washington to manufacture the carbon-fiber reinforced plastic used on the vehicles' body panels.[13] The plant is located in an area that has large access to hydroelectric power.[13] The carbon fiber is then shipped to Germany, where it first gets fabricated and is then shipped to the automotive production plant in Leipzig.[13]

BMW i3 badge

Markets and sales

The first i3 deliveries to retail customers in Europe took place at the official market launch ceremony held in Munich on 15 November 2013.[6] The i3 was also launched in the UK in November 2013.[24] The release in the American market took place in May 2014.[25] As of November 2015, the BMW i3 is available in 49 countries, and with the core phase of the market introduction finished, only some smaller markets are still to follow.[12]

As of December 2015, global sales totaled 41,586 units, of which, 16,052 units were delivered in 2014, and 24,057 in 2015.[9][10][11] As of December 2015, the United States ranked as the i3 top selling market with 17,116 units sold,[26][27] followed by Germany with 5,063 units registered,[28][29][30] Norway with 4,494 units,[31][32][33] and the UK with 3,747 units registered.[34][35]

Two years after it market launch, the BMW i3 became the top selling electric vehicle in Germany. In Norway the BMW i3 has been the best-selling model across the entire BMW range during 2015.[12] The i3 ranked third among all-electric cars sold worldwide in 2014, after the Nissan Leaf and the Tesla Model S.[36][37] The BMW i3 was again the world's third best selling all-electric car in 2015, and also ranked fifth in 2015 among the world's top selling plug-in electric cars.[38] As of November 2015, the i3 ranked as the world's third best selling all-electric car in history.[12]

BMW i8

Main article: BMW i8
BMW i8 badge

The BMW i8 plug-in hybrid is the production version of the BMW Vision Efficient Dynamics concept unveiled at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and has an all-electric range of 35 kilometres (22 mi). Production of both plug-in electric cars is scheduled to start in Leipzig in 2013.[3] Powering the front wheels will be an electric motor (131 hp), while the rear wheels will make use of a 1.5-litre 3-cylinder gasoline engine (231 hp).[39] Zero to 60 mph sprint timings are estimated to be less than 4.5 seconds using both power sources.[4] The positioning of the motor and engine over the axles also makes it benefit from a 50/50 weight distribution.[39]

The production version of the i8 was unveiled at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show.[40] BMW plans to sell the i8 in about 50 countries, with the U.S. expected to be the largest sales market. In Europe, the UK, Germany and France are expected to be the top markets.[41] Retail deliveries began in Germany in June 2014.[7] Deliveries to retail customers in the U.S. started in August 2014.[42]

As of December 2015, global sales totaled 7,197 i8s, of which, 1,741 units were sold in 2014, and 5,456 in 2015.[10][11] The United States is the leading market with 2,820 units delivered through December 2015,[26][27] followed by the UK with 823 units registered at the end of June 2015,[34] and Germany with 793 units registered through December 2015.[29][30] In 2015 global sales of the BMW i8 exceeded the combined figure of all other hybrid sports cars produced by other manufacturers.[43]

Life-Drive

Both the i3 and i8 will benefit from BMW’s Life-Drive platform which makes use of light-weight materials.[2] Both cars will come with an aluminum chassis, and in the case of the i8, the windshield, top, doors and fenders are made from polycarbonate glass, with the body having a drag coefficient of 0.26.[44]

EPA ratings

The following are the BMW i3 and i8 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ratings for all-electric range and fuel economy.

BMW i3 EPA ratings [45][46][47]
Model Year
model		 Fuel/EV range Combined City Highway Notes
BEV 2014/15 81 mi (130 km) 124 mpg-e
(27 kW-hrs/100 mi)		 137 mpg-e
(25 kW-hrs/100 mi)		 111 mpg-e
(30 kW-hrs/100 mi)		 Since May 2014 the all-electric BMW i3 is the most fuel efficient
EPA-certified vehicle of all years regardless of fuel type.[48]
REx 2014/15 Electricity only
72 mi (116 km)		 117 mpg-e
(29 kW-hrs/100 mi)		 97 mpg-e 79 mpg-e The EPA classifies the i3 REx as a series plug-in hybrid or EREV[45][47][49]
while CARB as a range-extended battery-electric vehicle (BEVx).[50]
Since June 2014 the BMW i3 REx is the most fuel efficient
EPA-certified vehicle current year vehicle with a gasoline engine.[46][48]
Gasoline only
78 mi (126 km)		 39 mpg 41 mpg 37 mpg
Total: 150 mi (240 km)
BMW i8 EPA ratings [51]
BMW i8 2014/15 Electricity only
15 mi (24 km)		 76 mpg-e
(43 kW-hrs/100 mi)		 - - The i8 does not run on 100% electricity as it consumes 0.1 gallons
per 100 mi in EV mode (all-electric range = 0 mi)
Gasoline only 28 mpg 28 mpg 29 mpg

Technology transfer to BMW brand

Launched in Europe and the U.S. in 2015, the BMW X5 xDrive40e is the first plug-in hybrid released under the core BMW brand. The use of BMW's eDrive technology on the established X5 platform is a direct technology transfer from the BMW i cars, in particular, from the BMW i8 technology.[52]

In February 2016, BMW announced the introduction of the "iPerformance" model designation, which will be given to all BMW plug-in hybrid vehicles from July 2016. The aim is to provide a visible indicator of the transfer of technology from BMW i to the BMW core brand. The new designation will be used first on the plug-in hybrid variants of the new BMW 7 Series, the BMW 740e iPerformance. The iPerformance models will take advantage of technical expertise regarding electric motors, battery cells and electronic control systems. Visible indicators for the vehicles with this designation are a BMW i logo on the front side panel, BMW i-style blue elements in the kidney grille and wheel hubs, and an eDrive logo on the C-pillar. Customers can also make use of the BMW i 360° ELECTRIC range of products and services, including the BMW i Wallbox.[53]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Joe Lorio (May 2010). "Green: Rich Steinberg Interview: Electric Bimmer Man". Automobile Magazine. Retrieved 2013-02-13.
  2. ^ a b c Phil Patton (2010-07-03). "Envisioning a Small Electric BMW for the World's Very Big Cities". New York Times. Archived from the original on 2010-07-09. Retrieved 2010-07-03. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b c "BMW introduces new i sub-brand, first two vehicles i3 and i8; premium mobility services and new venture capital company". Green Car Congress. 2011-02-21. Retrieved 2011-02-21.
  4. ^ a b Shaun Bailey (2011-09-13). "BMW i3 Concept - 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show". Road & Track. Retrieved 2011-10-02.
  5. ^ Sebastian Blanco (2013-09-18). "BMW i3 starts production in Germany using local wind power, US carbon fiber". Autoblog Green. Retrieved 2013-09-19.
  6. ^ a b c Jay Cole (2013-11-15). "BMW Delivers First i3 Electric Vehicles In Germany Today". InsideEVs.com. Retrieved 2013-11-16.
  7. ^ a b Eric Loveday (2014-06-06). "World's First BMW i8 Owners Take Delivery In Germany". InsideEVs.com. Retrieved 2014-06-07.
  8. ^ a b Cobb, Jeff (2016-02-15). "BMW Sells its 50,000th i-Series Worldwide in January". HybridCars.com. Retrieved 2016-02-16.
  9. ^ a b c Mat Gasnier (2014-07-19). "World Full Year 2013: Discover the Top 1000 best-selling models!". Best Selling Cars Blog. Retrieved 2014-07-27. A total of 1,477 i3s were registered in 2013. Includes press fleet vehicles and dealer demonstrators.
  10. ^ a b c d "BMW Group sells more than 2 million vehicles in 2014" (Press release). Munich: BMW Group PressClub Global. 2015-01-09. Retrieved 2015-01-10. A total of 16,052 i3s and 1,741 i8s were sold in 2014.
  11. ^ a b c d "BMW Group achieves fifth consecutive record sales year" (Press release). Detroit/Munich: BMW Group. 2016-01-11. Retrieved 2016-01-17. A total of 29,513 BMW i brand units were delivered to customers worldwide in 2015, up 65.9% from 2014, consisting of 24,057 BMW i3s and 5,456 BMW i8s.
  12. ^ a b c d e "The BMW i3 turns two. Time for an interim review. In Germany the BMW i3 has been the best-selling electric car since it was launched. In the worldwide ranking it stands third" (Press release). Munich: BMW Group. 2015-11-12. Retrieved 2015-11-16.
  13. ^ a b c d e Tom Murphy (2010-05-19). "Mini E Only Beginning of BMW EV Strategy". Wards Auto. Retrieved 2010-06-13.
  14. ^ "Mini Says Half of Last Year's Mini E Lessees Renewed for Another Year". Edmunds.com. 2010-05-12. Archived from the original on 2010-05-18. Retrieved 2010-06-12. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help)
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  16. ^ a b Jeff Cobb (2015-06-15). "Three More Plug-in Cars Cross 25,000 Sales Milestone". HybridCars.com. Retrieved 2015-06-28.
  17. ^ Levent Ozler (2012-06-13). "First BMW i Store Opens in London: New BMW i3 Concept and BMW i Pedelec Concept". Dexigner. Retrieved 2012-06-13.
  18. ^ Eric Loveday (2014-12-01). "BMW Commits To Offering Plug-In Hybrid Versions Of All Core-Brand Models". InsideEVs.com. Retrieved 2014-12-02.
  19. ^ "BMW Group starts year with sales record January" (Press release). Munich: BMW Group PressClub UK. 2016-02-10. Retrieved 2016-02-12. Globally, 1,255 BMW i vehicles were delivered to customers in January 2016.
  20. ^ Jay Cole (January 2016). "Monthly Plug-In Electric Sales Scorecard". InsideEvs.com. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  21. ^ Horatiu Boeriu (2015-07-10). "Worldwide sales of BMW i3 and i8 exceed 30,000 units in 2015". BMWBlog. Retrieved 2015-07-11. A total of 26,205 i3s and 4,456 i8s have been sold worldwide through June 2015. BMW i3 sales totaled 9,846 units during the first half of 2015.
  22. ^ "BMW Group: Megacity Vehicle to launch in 2013". BMW (press release). 2010-04-22. Retrieved 2010-08-03.
  23. ^ Jay Cole (2013-07-29). "BMW i3 Range Extender To Offer Up to 87 More Miles, Decreases Performance". InsideEVs.com. Retrieved 2013-07-29.
  24. ^ BMW Group (2013-11-06). "The new BMW i3 - Press pack". BMW Group Press Club UK. Retrieved 2013-11-07.
  25. ^ Eric Loveday (2014-05-02). "BMW Announces Delivery Of First US i3". InsideEVs.com. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  26. ^ a b Jeff Cobb (2015-01-06). "December 2014 Dashboard". HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates. Retrieved 2015-01-10. See section "December 2014 Battery Electric Car Sales Numbers"
  27. ^ a b Jeff Cobb (2016-01-06). "December 2015 Dashboard". HybridCars.com and Baum & Associates. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  28. ^ Kraftfahrt-Bundesamtes (KBA) (January 2014). "Neuzulassungen von Personenkraftwagen im Dezember 2013 nach Segmenten und Modellreihen" (PDF) (in German). KBA. Retrieved 2014-05-10. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) A total of 559 units were registered in Germany in 2013.
  29. ^ a b Kraftfahrt-Bundesamtes (KBA) (January 2015). "Neuzulassungen von Personenkraftwagen nach Segmenten und Modellreihen im Dezember 2014" (PDF) (in German). KBA. Retrieved 2015-01-27. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) A total of 2,233 i3s and 400 i8s were registered in Germany in 2014.
  30. ^ a b Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt (KBA) (January 2016). "Neuzulassungen von Personenkraftwagen nach Segmenten und Modellreihen im Dezember 2015" (PDF) (in German). KBA. Retrieved 2016-01-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) A total of 2,271 i3s and 393 i8s were registered in Germany in 2015.
  31. ^ Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) (January 2014). "CO2-utslippet i desember 2013" (in Norwegian). OFV. Retrieved 2016-01-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) A total of 51 new i3s were registered in Norway in 2013.
  32. ^ Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) (January 2015). "CO2-utslippet i desember 2014" (in Norwegian). OFV. Retrieved 2015-02-14. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) See graph: Gjennomsnittlig CO2-utslipp for registrerte ney personbiler per modell 2014, til og med desember.
  33. ^ Norwegian Road Federation (OFV) (January 2016). "Bilsalget i desember" (in Norwegian). OFV. Retrieved 2016-01-17. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |trans_title= ignored (|trans-title= suggested) (help) A total of 2,403 new i3s, including the REx variant, were registered in Norway in 2015.
  34. ^ a b RAC Foundation (2015-09-18). "Ultra-green cars - latest on-the-road figures". RAC Foundation. Retrieved 2015-10-04. A total of 1,534 BMW i3s were registered in the UK at the end of December 2014, and 823 BMW i8s were registered in the UK at the end of June 2015.
  35. ^ Staff (2016-01-15). "Record-breaking year for plug-in cars". Fleet News. Retrieved 2016-01-17. A total of 2,213 BMW i3s were registered in the UK in 2015.
  36. ^ "Statement and presentation by Dr. Norbert Reithofer, Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Annual Accounts Press Conference in Munich on 18 March 2015" (Press release). Munich: BMW Group. 2015-03-18. Retrieved 2015-03-21.
  37. ^ Jeff Cobb (2015-02-10). "2014's Top-10 Global Best-Selling Plug-in Cars". HybridCars.com. Retrieved 2015-03-21. A total of 16,052 i3s were sold in 2014, with global cumulative sales since their introduction totaling 17,529 units through the end of 2014.
  38. ^ Cobb, Jeff (2016-01-12). "Tesla Model S Was World's Best-Selling Plug-in Car in 2015". HybridCars.com. Retrieved 2016-01-23. The Tesla Model S was the top selling plug-in electric car in 2015 (50,366), followed by the Nissan Leaf (about 43,000), the Mitsubishi Outlander P-HEV (about 39,000), the BYD Qin (31,898) and the BMW i3 (24,057).
  39. ^ a b BMW Group (2013-08-07). "BMW Group presents prototype of i8 plug-in hybrid; first use of new 3-cylinder engine". Green Car Congress. Retrieved 2013-08-08.
  40. ^ Anita Lienert (2013-08-02). "2015 BMW i8 Set for Debut at 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show". Edmunds.com. Retrieved 2013-08-06.
  41. ^ Pia Krix (2013-08-09). "BMW sees U.S., UK, Germany as top markets for i8". Automotive News Europe. Retrieved 2013-08-11.
  42. ^ Eric Loveday (2014-08-16). "BMW Delivers First US i8". InsideEVs.com. Retrieved 2014-08-16.
  43. ^ Bruce, Chris (2016-02-12). "Protonic Red BMW i8 will bow in Geneva". Autoblog.com. Retrieved 2016-02-13. See details in the original BMW press release.
  44. ^ Hong, Patrick (2010). "Future Vision". Road & Track. 61 (7): 40–45.
  45. ^ a b United States Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy (2014-07-04). "Compare Side-by-Side: 2014 BMW i3 BEV & 2014 BMW i3 REx". fueleconomy.gov. Retrieved 2014-07-04.
  46. ^ a b U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy (2014-07-25). "Fueleconomy.gov's Top Ten EPA-Rated Fuel Sippers (1984 to present) - All Years". fueleconomy.gov. Retrieved 2014-07-25. Excludes all-electric vehicles. Click on the tab "EPA Rated - All Years. The 2013-2014 Chevrolet Volt has a combined fuel economy of 62 MPG-e.
  47. ^ a b United States Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy (2014-08-20). "Model Year 2014 Fuel Economy Guide - Electric vehicles & Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (updated August 2014)" (PDF). fueleconomy.gov. Retrieved 2014-08-26. pp. 33 and 36
  48. ^ a b U. S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy (2014-07-25). "Most Efficient EPA Certified Vehicles". fueleconomy.gov. Retrieved 2014-07-25. Current Model Year excludes all-electric vehicles.
  49. ^ John Voelcker (2014-05-01). "2014 BMW i3 Electric Car Rated At 81 Miles, 124 MPGe: BREAKING". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 2014-05-01. See details in EPA window sticker.
  50. ^ John Voelcker (2014-05-02). "2014 BMW i3 Range-Extended Model Gets Full $2,500 CA Rebate For Electric Cars". Green Car Reports. Retrieved 2014-05-02.
  51. ^ U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Energy (2014-08-21). "2014 BMW i8". Fueleconomy.gov. Retrieved 2014-08-22.
  52. ^ Tony Borroz (2015-03-16). "The BMW X5 xDrive40e, a plug-in hybrid SUV from Bavaria". Gizmag.com. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
  53. ^ "BMW at the 86th Geneva International Motor Show 2016" (Press release). Munich: BMW Group PressClub Global. 2016-02-12. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
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