Spotted the new i3 yesterday...

I was commuting back from a job interview and spotted what I thought at first to be someones idea of a joke.
It was a little car that looked to be half the size of an X5 with lines not typical to BMW.

After searching online I discovered it is the new is the new i3 Electric. The promo pictures let me see the whole car and I have to say it does look cute.
They start at $43,995!

They look bigger in person than on pictures. I've seen some, both rolling and parked.
BMW made an effort to look very different from anything else on the road.

Over here, the basic electric version starts at 38250€, the hybrid 43250€.
Still a lot of money for me...

In Norway they sell like cupcakes. All cars are very expensive here, except for electric cars, since they have no tax. The electricity is cheap, they don't pay for ferries or parking, no road tax, and they can drive in bus lanes. Several of my friends drive i3s, and both me and my wife have test driven them. They are very quick and responsive, and the energy recovery is amazing. If you want to stop, just lift off the accelerator, and the car stops. No braking. No gears. No sound. Normal cars feel very old fashioned after driving one.

0-100 in just over 7 seconds.

The problem is the range (the one with the range extender is not regarded as electric, so it is crazy expensive).

I think I will drive an electric car 10-15 years from now. The battery technology will improve, and the range will be long enough.
For now my primary transport is a mountain bike, and the 116i is used for long distances.

Check this out:
[jalopnik.com]

Quote
Ove Kvam
Check this out:
[jalopnik.com]

Could be done, but it greatly depends on how market will accept (or not) the new technology.
Not that electric cars are "new technology", they have been arround for over 100 years.
BMW was smart, marketing new electric cars as "BMW i", clearly separating markets from the emerging electric range and their leading "traditional" powered cars.
Toyota nd Honda (for example) sell hybrids and internal combustion versions of similar cars.

Also the electric car tax exemption is there only untill there are lots of electric cars being sold, and tax policies may be re-evaluated soon. Over here thei are out to scam the tax payer out of every last cent they can get their hands on. :/

The REX version is a bit ridiculous, 9 liters of petrol only brings 100 km extra autonomy.
I'm considering leasing one since my daily commute is just 50 km, I could recharge for free at work and the lease cost is low (just €295/month). Main disadvantage would be not having a tow bar so I should get one on the wife's car.
Other option would be a 2nd hand touring but I'm a bit scared of getting an N47 (though most of them don't break down due to chain issues) or a VW Transporter (I bet they won't congratulate me at work with that).

I found some statistics for electric car sales in Europe (and Norway) in 2014.

0 All electric cars: 56.393 (18.090)
1 Nissan LEAF: 14.658 (4.781)
2 Renault Zoe: 11.227 (434)
3 Tesla Model S: 8.734 (4.040)
4 BMW i3: 5.804 (2.040)
5 Volkswagen e-up!: 5.365 (2.971)
6 Volkswagen e-Golf 3.328 (2.018)

That means 32 percent of the electric cars in Europe are sold in Norway, and Renault has
done a very bad sales job with their Zoe here. The electric car market share in Norway in 2014 was 12.5 percent.

When Norwegian electric car owners are asked about their cars, 95 percent would recommend it to
friends, and 50 percent will never buy a petrol/diesel car again.

Quote
Ove Kvam
I found some statistics for electric car sales in Europe (and Norway) in 2014.

0 All electric cars: 56.393 (18.090)
1 Nissan LEAF: 14.658 (4.781)
2 Renault Zoe: 11.227 (434)
3 Tesla Model S: 8.734 (4.040)
4 BMW i3: 5.804 (2.040)
5 Volkswagen e-up!: 5.365 (2.971)
6 Volkswagen e-Golf 3.328 (2.018)

That means 32 percent of the electric cars in Europe are sold in Norway, and Renault has
done a very bad sales job with their Zoe here. The electric car market share in Norway in 2014 was 12.5 percent.

When Norwegian electric car owners are asked about their cars, 95 percent would recommend it to
friends, and 50 percent will never buy a petrol/diesel car again.

Very interesting figures!

From my end, I went to a Renault dealership once last year to meet "in person" the Zoe. The sales proposal I got was exactly placing the Zoe at the same cost of the Megane with Diesel engine (fuel and maintenance was considered). As my personal case is borderline for the maximum Zoe range, In doubt I would choose the Diesel power to be on the safe side (If I had the money to spend). The "elephant in the room" is the battery rental policy. Customers no more buy fuel, but Renault wants the saved money for the battery rental. Is a bit nonsense, for me.

The hybrid concept is more appealing to me, as the range concern is never a problem or limitation to use the car. Even considering that in internal combustion mode, the car has no advantage or even loses compared to a pure IC powered vehicle.
This year the taxes were reviewd to further charge the internal combustion and keeping the electrics exempt, but I didn't had the chance to look at it again.
About 1/3 the money I earn is spent in mobility, this is a central issue in my life.
Changing job to have a shorter commute would be a nice option as well.
Decisions, decisions...