BMW to introduce Saturday shifts due to high i4 demand
BMW plans to introduce Saturday shifts at its Munich plant in the first quarter of 2022 to keep up with the high demand for the new i4 electric model. The waiting time for the electric sedan is currently said to be around nine months, but could soon climb to a year.
This is reported by the German publication WirtschaftsWoche with reference to company circles. The Munich-based company apparently wants to take countermeasures by introducing additional shifts. When asked by the business magazine, BMW is said to have referred to the high flexibility of its production system. The company explained verbatim: “We are therefore in a position to expand the volume, for example by adding additional shifts, and thus to meet the gratifyingly high demand.” However, the plans for the coming year have not yet been finalised, so that no details can be given.
Just over a week ago, BMW reported that it had handed over the first examples of the all-electric i4 to customers. The electric sedan has been in production at the BMW plant in Munich since the end of October. The model is an electric sedan the size of a BMW 3 Series, with which the core of the BMW model range is to be electrified. The i4 was launched in November alongside the flagship iX SUV.
The i4 is the first fully electric car to be produced in Munich, together with the BMW 3 Series Sedan, the BMW 3 Series Touring – both with combustion engines and hybrid drive – as well as the BMW M3 and the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé. We have already covered the model’s dimensions and technical data in detail here.
The i4 and iX duo reinforces BMW’s all-electric range consisting of the i3, Mini SE and iX3. In the coming years, fully electric versions of the 7 Series, X1 as well as the high-volume 5 Series are to follow. As related ambitions, BMW cites targets of producing all-electric cars at every German plant by 2022 and having at least one all-electric model on the road in each of around 90 per cent of today’s market segments by 2023. By 2030, the BMW Group wants to increase the share of fully electric vehicles in its global sales to at least 50 per cent.
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Comparing the Model 3 to the i4:
– Model 3 has less weight
– Model 3 has a larger range
– Model 3 has a better acceleration
– Model 3 has a higher Top Speed
– Model 3 has a higher charging power of 250kw
– Model 3 has way more advanced software
– Model 3 has a front trunk
– Model 3 costs less
– Model 3 has a more extensive warranty on the battery
And still the germans buy a BMW… Well its the badge I guess.
@Bob
Comparing the i4 to the Model 3:
– i4 has 360 / birds eye / top view camera
– i4 has a classic driver screen behind steering wheel
– i4 has a head up display
– i4 has Android Auto / Apple CarPlay
– i4 has camera and sensor/lidar based assists which work better in Europe than Teslas Autopilot
– i4 has intuitive iDrive UI
lidar is dead! Sorry to disappoint!
The Germans are very nationalistic when it comes to automobiles. This is why few American cars sell in Germany. Fewer people will own cars in the coming years as public transportation eccelerates and daily or trip rentals become the norm.
This is scary for Germanys economy as the hallmark of it’s manufacturing is the automobile. What will become of Germans if less people are driving and owning cars?
Guess what… There are still many people buying cars, who don’t want to open the glove box by using a sub menu in the infotainment system…
– Model 3 – goddamn ugly exterior
– Model 3 – interior: a plank with an ipad
Casio watches keep time better than Rolex watches. Which one would you choose?
Hey Bob
You left off the most important part. Tesla is rated 31 out of 33 car makers for new car quality. There are no BMWs with a glass roofs flying off or catching fire
The BMW i4 is a car not an ipad on wheels
Despite I have Model3 $1000 reservation from the day 2, I also test drove Model3 Perfomance, I never bought one (and probably never will). Why? It dissapointed me in many ways.
– Model 3 was delayed several years here
– Model 3 looks and feels so cheap inside
– Model 3 touchscreen UI is inferior to real buttons while driving (it is scientifically proven)
– Model 3 is not hatchback
– Model 3 unimpressive handling & comfort
– Model 3 price much higher than promised
(got myself BMW 6 GT fully loaded for the price of Model 3 LR last year).
i4 m50 is the first EV I am seriously considering to buy. And yes, it is the badge (and I am not german), because BMW badge does mean REAL premium car in many ways. BMW is a drivers machine.
– i4 deliveries started 3 months earlier
– i4 is roomier
– i4 is a hatchback (more spacious and more practical boot)
– i4 has i-drive UI, one of the best in industry
– i4 has real premium interior
– i4 has 11 paints, 12 upholstery options
– i4 has ventilated seats
Several kms (miles) and few tenths of second difference? Who really cares about that?
With no significant difference in price, with BMW you get more options and more value for your money.
That’s why many people will prefer i4. For me, not time for EV yet, does not make sense economically.
Trust me it’s the media. Tesla is like the Rolex of EVs. I cannot trust a BMW or any other car maker, Tesla has been making these cars for a very long time and knows how to play their cards right.
Why would you spend your money on a first gen car from another manufacturer with less to offer. Just for the looks?
It’s not about looking different it’s about enjoying the experience and honestly owning a Tesla has been an incredible experience for me and I’ve switched from a BMW X6
The i3 is a dam good start paint quality on bmw is far better than tesla, BMW is a car not an ipad on wheels, no head up display on tesla! Having to look down and left at speed your travelling in a tesla is dangerous.
If tesla is like Rolex, then EVs of BMW, Merc, Audi, Porsche are like Patek Philippe.
Tesla will eventually get killed by the smarter and bigger foreign manufacturers. American business as usual.
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Design and looks go a long way, my dear friends
Safety, SaFe -T-Punch
BMW i3 has from day one been a trailblazer in the automotive world. So many first and great design and well sourced parts and 100 % environment correct. A car with a battery of the right size. Sad to see the production ends next year.
Model 3 – Ugly
In my case
i4 pro leasing price = 520€ /month
Model 3 pro leasing price = 620€ /month
Choice was quick and easy.
Since end 2021 i4 seems hard to get due to high number of orders, and delivery times went crazy.
In my case
i4 pro leasing price = 520€ /month
Model 3 pro leasing price = 620€ /month
Choice was quick and easy.
Since end 2021 i4 seems hard to get due to high number of orders, and delivery times went crazy.