http://www.carsguide.com.au/car-news/bmw-i3-attracts-older-buyers-31371 BMW i3 attracts older buyers Paul Gover 17 March 2015
[image http://resources.carsguide.com.au/styles/cg_hero_large/s3/BMW-i3.jpg 2015 BMW i3 ] Grey power is giving a surprising boost to the new green car at BMW. The electric baby i3 was intended to bring gen-Y youngsters to the car and company but early returns instead show ageing baby boomers have fallen for the trendy city car. They have been won over by convenience - the i3 is ideal for inner-city living and short-haul work that doesn't threaten the i3's 125km range on plug-in battery power. They're also more comfortable about paying nearly $70,000 to do something positive for the planet. Even so, i3 sales - and the tally for its bigger brother, the i8 hybrid supercar - have barely troubled the scorers in Australia. It's been a similar story with other early electric arrivals, such as the awful Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Nissan Leaf. For Renault, plans to import the electric Zoe have stalled because there is zero incentive from governments for the early adopters - unlike Germany, Britain and the US, which typically give up to $15,000 in tax breaks and other incentives. BMW says the early numbers for the i3 are not as bad as they look. A quick call to one of the i-car dealers reveals an order book with a relatively healthy 50 cars. The same outlet is approaching double digits for the i8, despite a price that puts it in Porsche 911 country. Yet this year only 24 of the examples of the i3s have been delivered in Australia. "Sales of BMW i3 and i8 have been slightly restricted due to supply issues," says BMW Australia spokeswoman Lenore Fletcher. "Our current tally is 24 (year-to-date) for i3 and eight for i8 but we expect that to increase with vehicles delivered in March." She declines to comment on the type of buyers but hopes that sales will increase as more cars arrive and people begin to see them on the road. "As we indicated at launch, our goal with these BMW i vehicles is not to have high volumes." The plug-ins, she says, were to be rolling showpieces of BMW's "prowess in developing innovative technologies". [© 2015 Carsguide.com.au] http://www.businesscarmanager.co.uk/ev-hire-lets-try-buy/ EV hire lets you try before you buy Paul Myles | 18 March 2015 [image http://www.businesscarmanager.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/611_ElectricCarHire.jpg Electric Car Hire have BMW i3s available for hire ] A HIRE fleet of electric BMW i3s has been launched by the UK’s first electric-only car hire company, Electric Car Hire. The company’s zero-emission 100% electric cars are now available to drivers in London and the South East for daily or weekly hire. Electric Car Hire point out that with only just over 50,000 new ultra low emission vehicles (ULEVs) sold last year, more work is needed to influence car buyers that low emission and electric cars are the future. It says hiring cars can provide a low cost and accessible option for motorists to try the vehicles. There is a host of driver incentive schemes available for electric cars including free charging, a waive on the London congestion charge, and free parking in certain London Boroughs. This is all part of the UK’s goal to lead the way in accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles globally. In June, London will also host the finish of the world’s first fully electric motor racing series, Formula E. We are on the cusp of a new and exciting era in motoring with sustainable driving now becoming part of the nation’s conscience Matthew Munson, managing director of Electric Car Hire, said: “We are on the cusp of a new and exciting era in motoring with sustainable driving now becoming part of the nation’s conscience. There are now more charging points in London than petrol stations, and with the Government funding only increasing the numbers, it has never been easier to make sure your vehicle is charged and ready for use. We’re here to support this trend and offer an affordable service that’s environmentally and user-friendly.” Electric Car Hire offers a tailored hire service for customers, with free same day delivery of any one of its BMW i3s if ordered before 4pm. Hire rates start from £21.50 per day or £235 a week. The vehicle is free to charge at most roadside charging points across London and can be fully charged in just 30 minutes using a ‘DC fast charge’ device, provided upon rental. [© businesscarmanager.co.uk] http://www.treehugger.com/cars/Road-test-joel-feder-takes-bmw-i3-electric-car-spin-video.html Road test: Joel Feder takes the BMW i3 electric car for a spin (video) Michael Graham Richard March 18, 2015 For EVLN posts use: http://evdl.org/evln/ http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/template/NamlServlet.jtp?macro=search_page&node=413529&query=subject%3Aevln+NOT+subject%3Are&days=0&sort=date {brucedp.150m.com} -- View this message in context: http://electric-vehicle-discussion-list.413529.n4.nabble.com/EVLN-Grey-power-a-surprising-boost-to-the-new-green-BMW-car-tp4674359.html Sent from the Electric Vehicle Discussion List mailing list archive at Nabble.com. _______________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: http://www.evdl.org/help/index.html#usub http://lists.evdl.org/listinfo.cgi/ev-evdl.org For EV drag racing discussion, please use NEDRA (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NEDRA)
