BMW has ramped up production of the i3 electric car to meet the rising demand of the vehicle. Opposed to BMW’s expectations, the demand for the i3 has seen a constant rise. The i3 is produced at the Leipzig factory in Germany and till now was limited to 70 vehicles a day. The ramp up will see the new facility produce 100 vehicles a day. BMW has produced a total of 5000 units of the i3 electric car, ever since its launch last year. The current production rate translates into 20,000 vehicles for the year, almost twice more than what the company had originally expected.
The increased production coincides with the launch of the i3 in the US market. BMW states that the US will be one of the biggest markets for the electric car. The i3 will cost around $41,350 (Rs. 24.95 lakhs) when launched in the US and the company aims to sell 10,000 units in 2014. BMW has invested a ton of money on the i-series electric cars and the i3 uses very expensive carbon fibre to keep the weight of the car low and improve fuel efficiency. The company said it had 11,000 orders for the electric car, back when the car was launched in November 2013.
BMW will launch the much awaited i8 hybrid sportscar in June this year. The company is also building a second production hall at a jointly run plant with SGL Carbon to boost assembly of the material. Considering the production for the new electric cars is more complex, the risk value is quite high for the company. The Bavarian based auto giant needs to make sure its new range of vehicles become a success, considering the amount of investment and effort being involved in the same.
BMW’s rival Audi too has started adding plug-in hybrid versions of its already existing models, instead of launching completely electric models. The reason being the range of only battery-powered vehicles is a matter of huge concern to most car buyers. The next generation Q7 SUV will also feature a plug-in hybrid version, when launched. Audi’s parent company Volkswagen on the other hand has restricted the use of carbon fibre to its high performance supercar brand Lamborghini. For now, BMW is the only luxury auto manufacturer that provides state of the art technology at a reasonable price tag.
