Access to charging point must be shown by BMW i3 and i8 buyers

BMW's revolutionary electric vehicles will arrive soon, but not everyone who wants one of these will be able to get it as buyers of the BMW i3 and i8 first need to show they have access to a charging point, reported The Business Times.

The German premium manufacturer said that in the first few years of sales - before enough charging stations are set up here - BMW i will require a 'qualifying' process to ensure that buyers have such access, be it at home or at work.

Each of these cars is sold with a charging wall box. Unless a customer lives on landed property, installing it could be a problem.

A customer who lives in a condominium will need to seek the permission of the development's management to have the box installed; the same goes for setting it up in business premises, such as office buildings.

Requiring a qualifying process comes out of the carmaker's global experience with its MINI E and BMW ActiveE customers, who typically charge their cars at night - the way people charge their cellphones in the evening or before going to bed.

The i3 and i8 will be launched here on 1^st August. Customer deliveries for the i3 are expected that month, while those for the i8 will take place in the fourth quarter.