BMW will cease production of its quirky i3 for the United States in July.

BMW Blog first reported the news a week ago, based on information from a dealer bulletin, and it’s since been confirmed by the automaker.

Production for other markets is expected to run into 2022, after which the compact electric hatch will be phased out without a direct successor.

2020 BMW i3

In a 2019 interview with the Financial Times (subscription required), Pieter Nota, BMW’s sales and marketing chief, said there were no plans for an i3 successor as BMW was more focused on electrifying its core models.

As a result, the void of the i3 in BMW’s lineup will be filled by an electric version of the next-generation X1. Prototypes for the compact electric crossover, which will be called an iX1, are currently out testing. There’s also the possibility of BMW offering an electric version of the 1-Series compact hatchback sold overseas, the oft-rumored i1, to also fill in for the i3.

And while the i3 won’t spawn a direct successor, its nameplate may make a return on an electric version of the 3-Series currently testing.

Final BMW i8

The BMW i3 arrived on the market in 2013 as a 2014 model, alongside the i8 plug-in hybrid sports car which ceased production in 2020. The cars were launched at a time when electrification was still in its infancy for established brands. As a result, BMW designed the i3 and i8 so that the models would stand out from the rest of its lineup, though Tesla quickly proved that electric cars don’t need to look quirky to sell. Sales of the i3 in the U.S. last year reached just 1,508 units.

The current i3 features a 42.2-kilowatt-hour battery rated at 153 miles of range by the EPA. A model with a smaller battery and twin-cylinder range extender is available. Known as the i3 REx, this model is rated at 126 miles of range on electric power and a total 200 miles with the range extender doing duty.

Now BMW is ready to launch the next phase of its EV offensive. It will start with the launch of the iX and i4 in early 2022, after which BMW will start offering electric versions of most of the vehicles in its lineup.

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Honda on Monday announced that an electric crossover it is developing on a platform sourced from General Motors will be called the Prologue, and will start sales in the United States as a 2024 model.

In a statement, Honda said the name was chosen to reflect that the new crossover will only be the first of several electric vehicles headed to U.S. showrooms in the coming years. Honda has a target of reaching 40% EV sales in North America by 2030 and 100% by 2040.

While Honda is developing its own dedicated EV platform known as the e:Architecture, for models launching from the second half of the decade, the automaker will initially rely on GM’s Ultium electric-vehicle platform and battery technology for the Prologue, as well as an Acura crossover also due for the 2024 model year.

The Ultium platform supports a variety of vehicle types ranging from small cars to large pickup trucks, crossovers and SUVs, as well as outputs of more than 1,000 hp. The Ultium batteries come in sizes ranging from 50-200 kilowatt-hours, the latter good for over 400 miles of range.

2024 Honda Prologue

The first Ultium-based vehicle is the 2022 GMC Hummer EV pickup truck, which starts production this fall.

GM will also be responsible for production of the Ultium-based electric crossovers for Honda and Acura, while the Japanese automakers will handle design and tuning. The Acura, which is expected to be the bigger of the two crossovers, is expected to be built at GM’s Spring Hill Manufacturing plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee, where GM will start production of the Ultium-based 2023 Cadillac Lyriq electric crossover in early 2022. The Honda is tipped to enter production at GM’s plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, where the Chevrolet Blazer and Equinox are built.

Since their original agreement, Honda and GM have further strengthened ties in North America. The two last year also proposed an alliance in the area of platform and powertrain sharing, as well as in R&D, purchasing, and connected services. The two automakers have also collaborated in the area of fuel cells since 2013.

Honda is also a key investor in Cruise, the self-driving startup controlled by GM, and has been picked to oversee operation of Cruise’s first self-driving service in Japan. Timing for the service’s launch is unclear at present.

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