BMW i3 price similar to 3 Series

BMW’s upcoming i3 electric car will be priced similar to a reasonably-equipped 3-Series sedan in the US, which means a starting price there of around $40,000. However, Australian buyers are likely to pay more than $60,000 when it arrives here in 2014.

That estimation takes into account our higher prices for cars, and the levels already set by the less-prestigious Holden Volt at $60,000, and the Mitsubishi i-MiEV and Nissan Leaf -- both of which were just under $50,000, with the Leaf taking another price cut last week to $39,990 dirve-away.

The US starting price also benefits from government rebates, and realistically becomes as low as $35,000 once various tax credits there are factored in. The pricing information was revealed by BMW’s US chief, Ludwig Willisch, who spoke recently with Automotive News.

Willisch said BMW i3 pricing would be finalised closer to the car’s launch at the end of the year and that BMW was still in discussions with the federal government over the eligibility of the $7,500 federal tax credit. The credit is based on battery size, which means a range-extended version of the i3 may also be eligible.

The basic i3 will come with a five-door body and electric motor rated at 125kW/250Nm, driving the rear wheels via a fixed-gear transmission. On a single charge of its lithium-ion battery, owners should expect a driving range of 150km.

A second version uses a 650cc two-cylinder petrol engine (from BMW's scooter line-up) acting as a range-extender to give 300km of travel when a full tank of petrol and batteries at 100 percent capacity are employed.

The i3 will make its official world debut in production trim at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show this September, before reaching showrooms by the end of the year. It will be followed up by the i8 sports car early next year.

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