BMW has introduced its new BMW i3 electric vehicle (EV) with an "add-on mobility" option, which is part of effort to win a “meaningful” portion of the EV market by helping owners bypass the traditional impediments to owning EVs.
To help curb “range anxiety,” or the fear of being stranded when the battery runs out of juice, BMW is allowing EV owners to borrow gas-powered BMW vehicles for longer drives outside of the current EV range. This comes as part of the company’s wider drive to expand the appeal of its i3 EV.
The projected range for its i3 standard model is around 80 to 100 miles on a single charge, BMW says. The company expects the EV market to grow between 150,000 and 160,000 vehicles globally this year, from 7,000 in 2010.