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> No, it didn't. They had a single, sub-brand model (the i3) that was neither technologically interesting nor performant. The i3 didn’t exist 8 years ago. What
by cnasc 7y ago
> No, it didn't. They had a single, sub-brand model (the i3) that was neither technologically interesting nor performant.
The i3 didn’t exist 8 years ago. What BMW did have then, and for some time before, was essentially a test fleet of electric 3-series sedans. They had a graphic applied to the sides so you could tell it was one of them.
Those were essentially what you’re asking for, and what the article says was poised to be a sensible strategy. For whatever reason they decided to do the i sub brand instead, and that’s where there strategy makes no sense.
- tdiggity 7y agoPeople loved these too. The problem was that you couldn’t buy the car after the lease was up, bmw wanted them all back to destroy.
- foepys 7y agoMaybe they wanted them back to study the parts? It's a completely new type of vehicle for them so they might have wanted real world data about the components.
- tdiggity 7y agoYea, that could be. At the time, the Leaf was just released, and The Tesla model S was on the verge of being delivered. To consumers, it felt like BMW wasn’t listening to their customers. We just wanted a normal car that had an electric drivetrain and reasonable range. When the i3 debuted, its styling skewed towards the Leaf/Prius. A lot of people didn’t want a car that stood out like that. I think a not-insignificant part of Tesla’s success was that the Model S looks pretty normal.
- netsharc 7y agoI've had the pleasure of driving them through DriveNow (BMW's car sharing program). Fun little cars!
- cnasc 7y agoYep, one of my friends was in the program for that. He was permitted to get a special edition i3 right when they launched in lieu of being able to buy the car off-lease.
- jordanbeiber 7y agoI’m guessing guarding the quarterly vs committing to a very expensive long term strategy. Only makes sense for individual execs and shareholders short term. I remember Tesla being heckled for how difficult it is to build cars. Only Tesla didn’t build grandpa’s cars, they did what BMW should have done - create something new, something that will always be an expensive venture. Also, the diesel cheating probably ties in a bit here? Unsure about BMW specifically, but in general that’s what it looks like to me. Cheap and simple. No one knows about it and it will keep the diesel sales reasonable for quite a while. All about the short term.