We had heard rumors that BMW had initiated a project to come up with a direct rival for the Volkswagen ID.3 and other electric hatchbacks in the same class. That model was going to end up being called the i1, but according to a recent German media report, the Bavarian automaker has pulled the plug on the project, in order to focus more on developing larger electric sedans and SUVs.
The i1 would have eventually been a replacement for the highly popular i3; the latter won’t get a direct replacement, but the i1 would have been roughly the same size, even if a completely different (more conventional) vehicle. Granted, it would have been a more expensive proposition than the Volkswagen, but even with the price premium, Europeans would still probably have bought it.
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