Skip to main content

BMW i3 could ‘boost electric vehicle market’

According to Frost & Sullivan, BMW's ibrand could have a halo effect as did the Prius for Toyota. It could boost the market for electric vehicles which has had a slow uptake rate and also position BMW's brand as the most innovative premium OEM. Commenting on the launch of the new BMW i3, the electric supermini for sale in November, Frost & Sullivan said: "BMW is the first of the traditional premium manufacturers to take a leap of faith into the EV space with the i3. Like most car companies, BMW also sells 7
July 31, 2013 Read time: 2 mins
According to Frost & Sullivan, 1731 BMW's ibrand could have a halo effect as did the Prius for 1686 Toyota. It could boost the market for electric vehicles which has had a slow uptake rate and also position BMW's brand as the most innovative premium OEM.

Commenting on the launch of the new BMW i3, the electric supermini for sale in November, Frost & Sullivan said: "BMW is the first of the traditional premium manufacturers to take a leap of faith into the EV space with the i3. Like most car companies, BMW also sells 70 to 80 per cent of its cars to urban customers so used the mega trend of urbanisation to develop a dedicated car brand tailored and tuned to the future urban driver. At an entry price point of £ 25,680, BMW has aggressively priced the i3 for early adopters in the market. The car has a number of industry innovations like it is partially made from Carbon reinforced fibres, it provides vehicle to infrastructure services like and comes with a flexible mobility package which is in line with the market trend to sell ‘mobility’ and not cars.

“Frost & Sullivan believes that the ride will be rough for BMW in the first few years just as it was for Nissan with its Leaf but it will get easier as market starts to accept electric cars. It for sure is the most innovative car of the 21st century so far."

Related Content

  • December 18, 2013
    Fleet managers ‘likely to opt for brands that offer predictive technologies’
    Fleet management systems (FMS) have an established presence in France, Germany, UK, Italy and Benelux, with 70 per cent of fleet managers claiming familiarity with FMS – 37 per cent are already using it and 33 per cent are testing it. In general, fleet owners display a positive attitude toward FMS, and 35 percent of respondents in a recent Frost & Sullivan survey consider it an absolute necessity. Large fleets are keener to adopt these solutions than small and medium fleets, clearly indicating a lack of awa
  • April 19, 2012
    Europe will have over two million public charging points by 2017
    A new report from Frost & Sullivan - “Strategic Technology and Market Analysis of Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure in Europe” predicts that the electric venicle (EV) charging infrastructure market could grow from less than 10,000 charging stations in 2010 to more than two million in 2017, 3% of which would be based on very-fast charging and inductive charging. “We are awaiting that European governments will forecast a budget of €700 million over the next seven years to build a charging infrastruc
  • May 24, 2017
    Start-ups ‘steering growth and innovation in global automotive and mobility industry’
    From devising driver monitoring systems to mapping services and driver safety data on the go, start-ups are rapidly emerging in every technological vertical in the automotive space, say Frost & Sullivan researchers. Over 1,700 start-ups are focusing on developing technologies that enable electrification, autonomous cars and mobility solutions to reduce the cost of ownership and enhance user experience. Meanwhile, original equipment manufacturer (OEM) start-up initiatives such as BMW Start-up Garage, the JLR
  • November 23, 2016
    Car OEMs target 2021 for rollout of SAE Levels 4 and 5 of autonomous driving
    New OEM smart mobility divisions, growing safety concerns relating to semi-autonomous driving, and recognition by national governments of the environmental and societal advantages of driverless vehicles will accelerate the deployment of more autonomous forms of driving, according to ABI Research. Its report, The Market Potential for Semi-Autonomous Driving, expects that semi-autonomous systems will continue to dominate the market over the next decade, with SAE level 2 and 3 systems accounting for 86 per