[The Automotive Enthusiast]

BMW makes its futuristic i brand vehicles – the i3 and i8 – at a plant in Leipzig, Germany. But the customers most willing to buy one of these plug-in cars live in the country where the lightweight carbon fiber used in the body structure is made: the United States.

Speaking at the Detroit Auto Show this week, Ian Robertson, member of the Board of Management at BMW AG, said, "The US is already our largest market for our electric vehicles, the BMW i3 and BMW i8. Worldwide, we sold close to 18,000 BMW i models last year. Nearly three-quarters of these sales occurred in the second half of the year, when the global rollout – including the US – really got underway. Demand for these vehicles continues to be high and I'm delighted that we've been able to increase production to meet that demand."

That sounds great, but the numbers aren't huge. BMW sold 6,092 i3s and 555 i8s (for a total of 6,647 i vehicles) in the US last year. Globally, BMW sold over two million vehicles in 2014, and 17,793 of those were plug-in i vehicles (16,052 of the i3 and 1,741 i8s). The production increase wasn't huge. BMW was making just 10 i8 vehicles a day at the beginning, but doubled that to 20 last fall. Since last spring (around April or May), the company has been making over 100 i3s a day, BMW spokesperson Verena Von L'estocq tells AutoblogGreen. Getting production right this first year has meant slow going, but "We're comfortable now," she said, adding that BMW expects more production increases in the future.

http://www.autoblog.com/2015/01/16/b...s-strong-2014/

[hellrotm]

The amount of money BMW Group has invested in "i" program and it to only makes up 0.9% of their sales.

Wow.

[Kiwi]

This is the future and will be available on 3 series BMWs and above. Petrol will rise this year and may even rocket past its highest price. Their is no oil companies that can stand these losses.

[cc3]

Originally Posted by Kiwi

This is the future and will be available on 3 series BMWs and above. Petrol will rise this year and may even rocket past its highest price. Their is no oil companies that can stand these losses.

The simple fact is that there is too much oil being produced and not enough demand. U.S. shale has only magnified the issue. Unless Saudi backtracks oil is only going one way and that is lower. Unfortunate consequence is that oil companies will cut jobs to manage costs. For example first announcement made in UK last week. In the meantime sale of electric cars will be severely hampered

[jadnashuanh]

Given that the majority of fuel costs at the pump in most of Europe is in taxes, decreasing the raw materials costs helps, but probably not as much as some think. It will help the costs of electricity, too. Living in a congested city, EVs are a good thing.

Saudi is trying to break the shale oil glut. The exploration costs need higher returns, but once producing, they are pretty economical and many will continue as the price drops. Saudi's production costs are lower than many places and the crude they produce is easier to refine. Long-term, any real outcome is just a guess.

[cc3]

http://www.carmagazine.co.uk/News/Se...mits-BMW-boss/

[jadnashuanh]

Even at below one pound per liter, England is paying over twice as much for petrol as those in some parts of the USA, and the difference is nearly all in taxes. Throw in the tax credits you get for electric, and the cost for an EV goes down even more. Add the instant torque that is unavailable on essentially any other type of vehicle, and limiting the air pollution, EVs will still be viable. With the power to weight ratio on the i3, for the areas it is designed for, it will be hard to beat. Consider the no oil changes, no spark plugs (or glow plugs), no muffler, essentially rust proof body, and the benefits continue. To even get close, you'd be talking about a small, diesel powered vehicle, and if my driving needs were met with the i3, I'd still buy it (and have - in the USA, we don't get anywhere near the choices of smaller, fuel-efficient cars as elsewhere).

[cc3]

Originally Posted by jadnashuanh

Even at below one pound per liter, England is paying over twice as much for petrol as those in some parts of the USA, and the difference is nearly all in taxes. Throw in the tax credits you get for electric, and the cost for an EV goes down even more. Add the instant torque that is unavailable on essentially any other type of vehicle, and limiting the air pollution, EVs will still be viable. With the power to weight ratio on the i3, for the areas it is designed for, it will be hard to beat. Consider the no oil changes, no spark plugs (or glow plugs), no muffler, essentially rust proof body, and the benefits continue. To even get close, you'd be talking about a small, diesel powered vehicle, and if my driving needs were met with the i3, I'd still buy it (and have - in the USA, we don't get anywhere near the choices of smaller, fuel-efficient cars as elsewhere).

Trouble is in the UK price of EVs is very high and they suffer massive depreciation.

[jadnashuanh]

With the way things are taxed, all cars in Europe (and many other places) are expensive compared to the 3% duty we pay in the USA. The government requires money to operate, and that's one way they historically get it in Europe. Not commenting on which is ultimately better, as with the fuel taxes in the USA, our infrastructure is crumbling...

Depending on how long you tend to keep a car before junking it or trading it in, depreciation may or may not be a big factor. I tend to keep mine 7-8 years or so, but usually get rid of them not because they couldn't go further, it's that I'm bored with them.