BMW starts i3 production

BMW has kicked off production of the i3, its first-ever electric car, in Leipzig, Germany. Â

The i3 is tougher to assemble than other BMWs because it is the first car equipped with a passenger cell crafted entirely out of carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP).  The cells are shipped to Germany from Moses Lake, Washington, and put on a bespoke assembly line where production begins.

BMW invested about €400 million ($543 million) and added 800 jobs to make sure its Leipzig factory is up to the task of mass-producing the i3.  A portion of investment went towards making the plant more sustainable and cleaner.

 

“With the changes we made, we require 50 percent less energy and 70 percent less water, and source the electric energy for production of the BMW i models CO2-free from the wind turbines at the plant,” explained BMW AG Board Member for Production Harald Krüger.

The first regular-production i3 built will be the lead car of the International Berlin Marathon that kicks off on September 29th.   The i3 will arrive in showrooms in select European markets in November and debut in the United States late next year as a 2015 model with a base price of $41,350 before destination and federal tax incentives towards the purchase of a clean car are factored in.  <![CDATA[
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