BMW sold 199 units of their progressive plug-in hybrid in October. The i8 is often compared to the Tesla Model S P100D which sells in larger numbers, at a similar price point, despite obviously being significantly different in their approach to market.

Sales for the first 10 months were 1,288, down 13.6% year over year. BMW has sold about 70,000 i3s and i8s since their launch, a fraction of its 2.2 million annual sales.

BMW i8 Protonic Dark Silver Edition-6

Earlier today, BMW said it hopes to boost its electric car sales to 100,000 vehicles as early as 2017.

Some specialists are saying the German car company needs to come up with a cure quickly, or the i8 will be deemed a failure.

BMW i8 Protonic Dark Silver Edition-5

The i8 has a base price of $140,700. It is extremely fast, with a 0 to 60 speed of 4.2 seconds. With added options, the price can go well above $150,000. It has an eDrive 129-hp and 184 lb-ft of torque electric motor coupled with a TwinPower Turbo 3-cylinder 228-hp and 236 lb-ft of torque engine with high-precision direct injection.