BMW to Sell 30,000 i3 Units Per Year

The excitement caused two weeks ago by the launch of BMW's green sub-brand, i, is slowly fading away. Now, more and more questions about the future of the brand begin to surface, with the first model announced for production, the i3, at the center of them all.

BMW's plans for what was until recently known as the Megacity seem not to have been completely clarified. While some from within the group say the model will be leased, and not sold, at least in what the first test units are concerneed, others claim that the auto maker has even set a sales target for the model.

According to Autonews, citing the BMW head of global sales and marketing department, Ian Robertson, mass production is a given fact for the i3. And apparently, the sales target for the model has been set at 30,000 units after its launch in 2013, for prices yet to be disclosed.

The i3 has been previewed as the BMW ActiveE, with which it is expected to share most of the technologies. It will be manufactured based on what BMW will learn from the field trials of the ActiveE and on what it has already learned with the MINI E.

As for what the i sub brand will encompass, BMW seems to be in the dark about that as well. Recent rumors claim that the Germans might end up including in the brand everything and anything that even resembles a fuel efficient vehicle, be it car or motorcycle, powered by hybrid, electric or even diesel power trains.