Article: "Senior managers fear they will not recoup the investment costs with Mini-branded cars because these do not command the same sticker prices as BMW-badged cars, another of the sources said."
I accept BMW was aiming for poor i3 sales, and if anything the article is wrong about any displeasure. The above quote is the big deal. Electrification is accelerating over some mix of function, price, or penalty. Some still negatively market it however they can (Toyota charging, etc). BMW, right next to VW, sees the perception shift, recognizes they're in a margin space that not only can afford diesel compliance, but can be profitable with battery electrics, too. Just maybe not 8% returns. Do they lead with a genuine luxury effort, more or less conceding that electrification of touring cars was the best way to go all along, or do they delay, lose a little luxury market share, and hold on to higher profitability and those customers who just love the badge? What this meeting may be conceding, that would be so important to the adoption of EVs, is addressing a customer base with the message that electric is the premium way to go. Does BMW dare do that (i-9)? Do they simply develop parallel offerings, with an expectation that electric customers are their own breed?
The others still sort of bastard'ize electric drive. Mercedes recently showed a golf cart, with a curiously Model 3 like center screen. GM aims to make the Bolt a mainstay among sub-prime Lyft drivers, despite CCS and its whopping 238 mile range. These are examples of the positioning BMW is likely to debate.
