4 ms·

Its a pity they cant just make a normal, fully electric 3 series or 5 series. These are beautiful cars, yet the decide to go for the i3 and i8.

luca_ing 10y ago
They needed to capture attention first, and also make sure they don't damage their brand if they mess up their first generation e-vehicle. I think this strategy makes sense. I know what you mean though :-)
- martinko 10y ago
  Fair enough, but most people I know that would be interested in a fully electric car are just turned off by how the 'i' series look. I your point, they could have just made them look somewhat nicer.
  - gambiting 10y ago
    There seems to be no middle point with the i-series and it's its biggest problem. You either have to go for the affordable but incredibly ugly and bare i3(seriously, look at this car from the side - front, middle and back all look like they've been designed by different teams and then stitched together), or for the gorgeous i8, which is incredibly expensive and very impractical.
    - AJ007 10y ago
      It is also worth pointing out the i8 is a hybrid, with 15-23 miles of range on electric only.
    - izacus 10y ago
      Interior is actually a bit worse - it has those tiny screens with huge bezels just bolted on somewhere randomly.
    - geoka9 10y ago
      I actually like the looks of the i3.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
nl 10y ago
That is the innovator's dilemma, and the i-brand is BMW's attempt to avoid it. That's a story worth writing.
Vik1ng 10y ago
Because the typical 3-Series buyer is unlikely to buy a i3, but the get new customer segments with the i3. So overall more sales without cannibalizing existing ones.
rohan_ 10y ago
there might be engineering constraints: does the frame need to be redesigned to store all the batteries? How is the 50/50 weight distribution affected? How is handling affected? I think the differences in the drivetrain might be so much that they would need to create a fundamentally new car. It would have to be a new model.

luca_ing 10y ago

They needed to capture attention first, and also make sure they don't damage their brand if they mess up their first generation e-vehicle. I think this strategy makes sense. I know what you mean though :-)

martinko 10y ago
Fair enough, but most people I know that would be interested in a fully electric car are just turned off by how the 'i' series look. I your point, they could have just made them look somewhat nicer.
- gambiting 10y ago
  There seems to be no middle point with the i-series and it's its biggest problem. You either have to go for the affordable but incredibly ugly and bare i3(seriously, look at this car from the side - front, middle and back all look like they've been designed by different teams and then stitched together), or for the gorgeous i8, which is incredibly expensive and very impractical.
  - AJ007 10y ago
    It is also worth pointing out the i8 is a hybrid, with 15-23 miles of range on electric only.
  - izacus 10y ago
    Interior is actually a bit worse - it has those tiny screens with huge bezels just bolted on somewhere randomly.
  - geoka9 10y ago
    I actually like the looks of the i3.
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]

nl 10y ago

That is the innovator's dilemma, and the i-brand is BMW's attempt to avoid it. That's a story worth writing.

Vik1ng 10y ago

Because the typical 3-Series buyer is unlikely to buy a i3, but the get new customer segments with the i3. So overall more sales without cannibalizing existing ones.

rohan_ 10y ago

there might be engineering constraints: does the frame need to be redesigned to store all the batteries? How is the 50/50 weight distribution affected? How is handling affected? I think the differences in the drivetrain might be so much that they would need to create a fundamentally new car. It would have to be a new model.