BMW will replace i3, despite slow sales

BMW has confirmed it will replace its pure-electric i3 despite the current car's poor sales performance globally.

Since it was launched back in 2013, BMW has sold just 60,000 i3s worldwide - a figure shadowed by the Tesla Model S that, over the same three-year period, has sold in excess of 107,000 units, despite being significantly more expensive and lacking the badge cache of the established German marque.

Until now, it's thought a replacement for the i3 might have been shelved for a larger long-distance pure-electric car but, according to BMW i3 project manager Heinrich Schwackhoefer, the supermini will live on for another generation.

Speaking to Automotive News, when asked if the small supermini would be replaced Schwackhoefer said: "I firmly expect that. It's not the sentiment within the company that it's been a failure - absolutely not at all".

Already announcing a shift from creating pure-electric vehicles to specialising in autonomous driving tech as part of its Project i Next, Schwackhoefer also addressed rumours that BMW's i-brand could be at risk from becoming nothing less than a badge derivative.

"The i sub-brand is stable and you can count on a successor to the i3 but I cannot say when that will be".

BMW has already addressed criticisms of the old i3's small range by introducing a 94Ah version of the supermini in October.

Now with a range of up to 300km, the i3 94Ah is claimed to have around 50 per cent more driving range than the existing model.

Pricing for the i3 94Ah begins at $65,900 - $2000 more than the 60Ah model.