BMW i3 EV will cost from £30,680 - less than we expected

BMW has revealed that the i3 electric car – due to be revealed on 29th July – will cost from £30,680 when it goes on sale in 2014.

The new BMW i3 EV (teased above) will costs from £30k

The new BMW i3 electric City Car is due to be revealed in production guise on 29th July, ahead of which BMW has revealed it will cost from £30,680 – meaning a showroom sticker price of £25,680 after the EV taxpayer ‘grant’.

That price is for the pure EV i3 – not the range-extender – which comes with a rear mounted 168bhp electric motor, a top speed of 93mph and a range (in ideal conditions) of around 80 miles between charges.

At a retail price of £25k, the i3 compares favourably with other EVs like the Nissan LEAF, which costs from £21k, and the Chevy Volt at £30k (although that is a range extender).

And the BMW i3 does come with some very credible tech – away from the EV side of things – with a body made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic and a chassis made of aluminium, which will help the i3 perform credibly thanks to the weight savings.

We’ve spoken to a few BMW dealers about feedback on the i3 EV, and all report a healthy amount of interest from their customers, with interest split almost evenly between the range-extender (favoured by those who live in rural areas) and the pure EV (favoured by those living in cities/towns).

But it does seem as though BMW’s potential buyers are viewing the i3 as the perfect second car for local journeys, rather than a replacement for their existing transport.

Which may well make the i3 a real success.