BMW i3 ends production with 250,000 examples created

BMW has called time on its electric i3, with a final model rolling off the firm’s production line in Leipzig.

Some eight and half years since it was first launched, the 250,000th example of the i3 has been created, with examples sold in more than 74 countries around the world. Acting as the firm’s first fully electric large-series production model, the i3 helped to push BMW into the electrified age, with the model’s combination of premium build quality and low running costs striking a chord with buyers.

It also helped buyers move towards BMW, with more than 80 per cent of all i3 buyers arriving as new customers to the BMW Group. Built at the Leipzig site for the entirety of its production run, the i3 utilised a number of next-generation technologies in its design, including a passenger cell made from carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) and a number of recycled interior materials.

Milan Nedeljković, member of the board of management for production at BMW AG.”The BMW i3 is a true pioneer and the epitome of pioneering spirit

“Thanks to the BMW i3, the Leipzig plant became the birthplace of e-mobility at BMW.”

In fact, the next-generation Mini Countryman – which will incorporate a fully electric version – will be produced at the site, alongside the creation of high-voltage battery modules.

BMW has celebrated the i3 with a limited-edition HomeRun edition. Just ten will be produced, with all using a special BMW Individual paint as well as 20-inch alloy wheels and an electrically-operated glass roof with ‘solar control glazing’.