BMW i3: end of the line for pioneering electric hatchback
After nine years on sale, we say goodbye to BMW’s radical electric city car, which is not being replaced
![BMW i3s HomeRun Edition](https://media.drivingelectric.com/image/private/s--ywVxs13D--/f_auto,t_primary-image-mobile@1/v1656672208/drivingelectric/2022-06/BMW%20i3s%20HomeRun%20Edition%20010_xhyhzw.jpg)
Production of the BMW i3 has come to an end. First seen in concept form back in 2011, and then launched in 2013, BMW’s first pure-electric car was a radical departure from what we'd come to expect from the German brand, and successfully kickstarted the i sub-brand of EVs that now includes five separate models.
The compact electric city car was also a pioneer in the early days of electrified motoring, helping to bring EVs further into the mainstream. Over its nearly 10-year run on showroom floors, more than 250,000 examples of the BMW i3 have been sold across 74 countries.
The i3 was updated several times over its life, including a styling refresh, significant increases in battery size and more power when BMW unveiled the sportier i3s in 2017. For a time, the i3 was also available with a ‘range extender’: a two-cylinder petrol engine from a BMW scooter that allowed the car to cover nearly 100 more miles before requiring a top-up.
To commemorate the end of production, BMW has produced a special HomeRun Edition of the i3s, which gets a Frozen paint finish from BMW Individual – a first for the i3 – as well as 20-inch alloy wheels, an electric sunroof, adaptive LED headlights and a leather interior, plus BMW’s optional Comfort package and Driving Assistant Plus for plenty of extra kit. All 10 examples have already been sold.
BMW is not launching a direct replacement for the i3 as it shifts focus away from standalone EVs to electric equivalents of its popular combustion-engined models, such as the iX3 SUV, i4 saloon and i7 limousine. The new iX1 SUV is expected to become the cheapest EV in the brand’s line-up when it goes on sale in November.
The i3 name has already been adopted by a zero-emissions version of the 3 Series that’s available only in China, and we expect this will also apply to the next-generation 3 Series launching in 2025, which will be fully electric.
That said, the BMW i Vision Circular revealed in 2021 indicated that the brand hasn't completely given up on the idea of a small and radically styled electric city car – and elements of its design could well turn up in a spiritual successor to the i3 somewhere down the road.
The other BMW Group brands – Rolls-Royce and MINI – are also embracing electric cars. MINI is set to unveil a new zero-emissions crossover later this year, while 2023 will see the next-generation MINI hatchback and Countryman SUV arrive, both available with electric power. Meanwhile, Rolls-Royce’s first EV, an “electric super coupe” called the Spectre, will make its world debut in 2023.
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