BMW may already have more than 10,000 orders for the i3 globally, but the success of the electric vehicle does not come without logistical problems. The Bavarians are reportedly struggling to keep up with demand for test drives from potential customers, as over 100,000 people registered for i3 test drives.
“We have waiting lists into months for test drives. These cars need to be charged between each test, which takes some time. Dealers are working hard to satisfy the demand,” BMW Board Member for Sales and Marketing Ian Robertson told AutoExpress magazine.
According to the report, in the UK alone there are 6,500 people waiting to try out the i3, with only 1,500 of them having an appointment confirmed. Since the i3 launched on November 16 in the UK, nearly 1,000 people have driven it, at a rate of around 300 per week across the 47 BMW dealers that sell i3s. At this rate, someone registering today for a test drive will get to drive the car in…five months from now.
Things are not looking great for people who want to order an i3 either, since they have to wait at least six months for their cars to be delivered. According to a BMW spokesperson in the UK, for a BMW i3 with range extender ordered today, delivery could be in June next year, while a standard i3 will probably not be available earlier than October 2014.
Don’t think delivery times are shorter for the much more expensive BMW i8 though. BMW already has orders for the entire 2014 production, which means the wait will stretch into 2015.
By Dan Mihalascu
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