BMW: Buy Our Electric Car and We’ll Loan You A Real Car When You Need It

Here at the 2014 Chicago Auto Show much of the buzz has been about the electric movement. BMW has a couple of entries in the electric market with the i3 and i8 which are no doubt some very cool vehicles.

During BMW’s somewhat lackluster press conference we learned that their best electric offering, the i3, is only capable of an electric range of 80-100 miles in optimal conditions. The presenter went on to say that this range would work for around 90% of people. For that other 10% there was an interesting solution offered: “For those worried about performance for longer trips we have a loaner program.”  To clarify, BMW will take your vehicle and trade you for a real car during your trip… for free…for a limited amount of trips.

Don’t get me wrong – I think it’s good that BMW is at least trying to find a way to bridge the electric range gap for its customers, but this is simply not good enough.  How long is it going to take automakers to make a viable electric vehicle replacement? At some point they’ve got to realize buyers are not going to settle for a part-time electric vehicle and that they are basically wasting their time living in the middle.

Disappointing BMW… disappointing.