Because the i3 was an abortive product in every way. It's hideous, the range is terrible (80 mi), the charge time is impractical (3h on a 220V and 10h on a 110V), and they wanted $45k for it.
It's a premium Leaf. It's hard for people to understand premium electric car, when electric = economy in many people's minds.
The first time I drove an i3, I immediately got it -- "oh, it's a BMW. It's actually a nice place to be". The driving dynamics were great, and the design astoundingly useful and space-efficient. You really have to play with it in person to appreciate how much space there is and yet how compact the body is.
People will pay extra for luxury cars that don't DO anything functionally different from a run-of-the-mill sedan. Why not pay more for electrics that don't do anything different from run-of-the-mill electrics?
