(By Tom Lohnes) – The BMW i3 is a very strange little car. Coming to the US market in 2014, the i3 was BMW’s first stab at an EV, and it was just that, a start. But to comply with strict European emissions restrictions, BMW had to keep the i3 in its lineup as redemption for the emissions of the M cars. Well, now that the new iX and i4 are on the way, BMW no longer needs the i3, so production is ending next month.

So, what made the i3 a small seller? Quite a few things, actually. Starting with the value. Like any BMW, the i3 isn’t cheap. With a base price of around $45,000, the i3 gives you a little over 150 miles of range, which isn’t all that viable anymore considering that a Chevy Bolt that was introduced only 2 years later gave 259 miles of range for just over $31,000. Of course, you could opt for a motorcycle engine range extender, but that burns fuel, which isn’t a good thing in your environmentally friendly car.

The next thing that contributed to its niche status is the design. With the sleek i8 debuting at the same time, people really wondered why the i3 didn’t look like an i8. Of course, the i3 was a ton more practical, but a dorky-looking hatchback with doors similar to an extended cab pickup truck really wasn’t many people’s thing.

If you want an i3, your time to buy one is now. I feel these things will be similar to the Isetta microcar on the classic market. Hopefully BMW’s next batch of EVs is good, because if the i3’s reputation lives on, it may plague the brand for quite some time.