BMW i3 Deliveries Begin In Germany & Select European Markets
If you read my initial, short review of the BMW i3, you know that I love this vehicle. Living in the city center of a beautiful, old European city, I have nearly no need for an automobile of any sort. However, driving the i3 on Saturday did put some genuine desire for the vehicle in me, and made me think of situations where I could use it. Genuine congratulations to the initial 46 “i agents” who got to pick up their BMW i3s at BMW Welt in Munich about a week ago.
From the BMW press release:
The BMW i3 will be available in Germany and selected European markets from the 16 November. The first customers from Germany collected their cars from the BMW Welt in Munich a day earlier. The keys were formally presented by Ian Robertson, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Sales and Marketing BMW and Roland Krüger, Senior Vice President, Head of Sales and Marketing Germany for the BMW Group, in a special ceremony. The head of the Bavarian State Chancellor’s Office and State Minister for Federal Affairs and Special Tasks, Christine Haderthauer, and Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE, Oliver Bäte, were also among the first BMW i customers.
Notably, the BMW i3 will also be available in the Allianz SE fleet. “By integrating E-cards into the Allianz fleet, we are supporting the mobility solutions of today and tomorrow. We want to increase the acceptance of E-cars,” says Oliver Bäte Member of the Board of Management of Allianz SE on the collection of his car. “Currently, already 10% of our management fleet have E-vehicles; this is how we bring the future on to the road. The reactions of staff and clients are all very positive. Driving on electricity is something good – and it’s even fun.”
(This image is available for republishing and even modification under a CC BY-SA license, with the key requirement being that credit be given to Zachary Shahan / EV Obsession / CleanTechnica, and that those links not be removed.)
The BMW Group’s fleet management and leasing specialist, Alphabet, has developed a product called “AlphaElectric” to meet the special requirements of its fleet customers. The first comprehensive E-mobility solution on the market offers smooth integration of electric vehicles into company fleets in just three steps: analysis of the customer’s mobility profile; definition of appropriate charging infrastructure; and the flexible combination of add-on services.
One other interesting note is that the car can actually be bought over the phone or online, as well as through the normal dealership channels.
While the rollout is beginning in select European markets, it is set for the US, Japan, China, South Korea, and other European markets in the coming months.
“The BMW i3 is typical BMW and typical Bavaria. It combines Top Innovation, Top Design and Top Sustainability. This is why we are convinced that the Bavarian State Chancellery should be one of the first customers. Emission free electro-mobility thanks to the BMW i3, this concept will be a great success and a Bavarian export hit. The future of auto-mobility begins now and it is white and blue”, noted State Minister Christine Haderthauer.
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