Pour a drink in honour of the adored BMW i3. The tiny hybrid hatchback is being discontinued after an impressive eight and a half-year run with a quarter of a million units sold in 74 different countries. The i3 will inevitably be replaced by the iX1, a brand-new all-electric crossover that will eventually replace the iX, but not before BMW sends off this icon in style.
The automaker lined up the last 18 models of the i3 for a select few lucky customers to take home during a special delivery ceremony at the BMW Welt facility in Munich, Germany. As a tribute to the i3’s long history of success, each vehicle was finished in the same Galvanic Gold and black hue.
It was regarded as a visionary and exotic when it first began series production eight and a half years ago, according to a statement from BMW. Since then, the small car with electric propulsion has made a name for itself as a leader in holistic sustainability and local emission-free driving.
Prior to officially announcing the decision on a global scale this year, BMW announced the end of i3 production in the US in 2021. The high-riding hatchback first appeared on the market in 2013, and throughout its lifespan, it had an electric driving range of between 81 miles (130 kilometres) and 153 miles (246 kilometres).
The BMW i3 is one of the most popular electric vehicles of all time and the automaker’s most successful electrified vehicle to date in terms of pure sales with more than 250,000 units sold globally.
Technically, the BMW i3 name does continue in China in the form of a battery-powered 3 Series sedan, and soon, the small hatchback in the iX1 crossover will be replaced in the US. However, the i3 as we know it has formally come to an end and will be sorely missed.
