Plug-in hybrid sales sag in Europe as they keep popping in the U.S. BMW adds a base version of its i4 EV. And there’s no more base $30k electric Mini Cooper—for now. This and more, here at Green Car Reports. 

The Mini Cooper SE has been a rare exception in the electric-vehicle market—in that it’s a nimble, head-turning two-door EV that costs around $23,000, if you can claim the $7,500 EV tax credit amount. It’s a completely different kind of fully electric option than a Bolt EV or Leaf. But due to supply-chain issues, the base version of the Cooper SE remains unavailable—leaving models that start $4,325 higher. 

BMW has announced a lower-priced version of the i4 electric car for the U.S. market. The 2023 BMW eDrive35 will get a single-motor rear-wheel-drive layout like the existing eDrive40 version, but with a smaller battery and about 260 EPA miles of range, according to BMW—at $4,000 less. At $52,395, it costs only slightly more than the base Tesla Model 3 and Polestar 2.

Should sagging plug-in hybrid sales in Europe be seen as a sign that the era for this stopgap technology is over? Before you answer that, consider that PHEV sales are still on the upswing in the U.S.

_______________________________________

Follow Green Car Reports on Facebook and Twitter