In an interview for Automotive News, Ian Robertson, member of the BMW board responsible for sales and marketing, said BMW aims to sell at least 30,000 units of its i3 electric vehicle a year beginning in 2014.
“We are targeting volume production for the i3,” said Robertson. But the production is not limited to this figure. Robertson also that production could be increased if opportunities arise.
The BMW i3, or Megacity vehicle as known internally, will be launching in 2013, while the i8 sportscar will come shortly after.
The price of the i3 is not yet decided, but BMW sources told AutoNews the i3 will be above 40,000 euros in Europe. “As with all BMW Group products, the BMW i3 will be a premium car,” Robertson said.
Initial pricing for the i8 is unclear, but the rumor in the past put the car at a price point of $200,000.
“Our sales will strongly depend on legislation. Not only by big markets like the U.S. or China, but by local city authorities and their terms of taxation,” Robertson said. “If a city like Amsterdam or London decides that you get a tax reduction, then sales will boost.”
As mentioned in a previous interview, BMW said is looking at different channels to put these cars on the street, one of them is the Zipcar-like approach, a car sharing process more and more popular around the world.
“We are looking at multiple distribution channels – from conventional sales and leasing to different rental approaches, like car sharing. We will also build up communities for such rental approaches, this is why we bought a share of the smartphone app My City Way”, said Robertson.
As expected, the i3 and i8 are just the first two Project i vehicles to hit the road, but a whole range of electric and hybrid products will follow.
