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Comment by rwbt | Hacker News Reader

I'm not sure if you know how innovative the BMW i3 is. They decided to go for an entirely different manufacturing process using Carbon Fibre instead of traditional steel stamping and it's entire supply chain is built on renewable energy. That's a big commitment on BMWs part. Alas, the market didn't think of it the same way. The i3 might not be a looker but it's probably one of the most innovative cars ever produced in recent history. Horace of Asymco fame did an entire series on the i3 in his Asymcar podcast.

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They have also released AMAZING videos showing the entire production process. If you are at all interesting in manufacturing, they're worth watching. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gt1k3BLN7pw

> Alas, the market didn't think of it the same way. The i3 might not be a looker

...from an American perspective. The i3 doesn't sell much in the US, but is I think the second highest selling EV in Europe at the moment, people here apparently don't have any problem with the way it looks.

It's also super comfortable inside, compared to the Leaf or the Bolt.

In Copenhagen it's the only DriveNow car available, and I must admit that although I am a petrolhead, the i3 grew on me.

What might look silly from the outside is an unparalleled experience in accelleration on the inside. Only Tesla's, motorcycles and proper sport cars can match the 0-50 km/h (which is everything you care about in a city commute).

Quite sure e-Golf, Leaf, the electric Kia all a good match.

Sounds more like a vanity project, than a real commercially competitive product.

It’s a learning project.

You're interpreting the language of a comment that itself is a subjective interpretation. Why not go straight to the source? Have you done any analysis of what makes for a 'real commercially competitive product'?

It's ugly. It looks like a prop from Tron, and that movie was a flop.

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