MUNICH, March 12 — A few months after BMW first indicated that production of the i8 will be coming to an end sooner rather than later, the company announced this week that the plug-in hybrid sports car will be discontinued next month.
During the fall of last year, BMW introduced the final iteration of the i8 electric sportscar to be released before the model officially goes into retirement, the i8 Ultimate Sophisto. Nevertheless, the car will go down in the company’s history as it helped the brand reach several milestones, one of which was joining the plug-in hybrid market and therefore jumpstarting its commitment to the electrification revolution.
Not only was the i8 the first vehicle made by the company to be outfitted with such a powertrain, but the company also claims that it “goes down in company history as the world’s most successful sports car with electrified drive,” a title given because over 20,000 units were sold since the model’s launch in 2014.
Additionally, the “i8 has held a global market share of more than 50 per cent in the segment of sports cars with electrified drive for years,” which will be true until the model is discontinued in April.
Though the i3 also premiered along with the i8 six years ago, the all-electric sedan will live on without its hybrid partner.
The final BMW i8 is scheduled to roll off the production line in mid-April. — AFP-Relaxnews
