2017 BMW i3 with Range Extender
BMW is pulling a page from Tesla’s playbook and offering the i3 electric car with a larger battery-pack option as part of a 2017 model-year update. While the base BMW i3 uses the same 21.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack as i3s past, a new option increases the battery capacity to 33.2 kWh for $2050 and offers an EPA-rated 114 miles of driving range on a full charge—33 miles more than the base model. (Contrary to Tesla’s convention of including the energy capacity of its batteries, in kilowatt-hours, in its cars’ names, BMW chooses to potentially confuse buyers by naming the available batteries based on their ampere-hour ratings. While 60 Ah and 94 Ah look more impressive on paper than 21.6 kWh and 33.2 kWh, you will only see us referring to them as the latter pairing.)
As in previous years, the i3 is offered with a range extender, a small 647-cc inline-two-cylinder gasoline engine mounted just ahead of the rear axle, although there’s no connection to the drive wheels. The 38-hp twin’s sole purpose is to power a generator that maintains the battery pack’s charge should it fall below a specific threshold. Now limited to the i3 fitted with the bigger battery, this range extender adds $3850 to the price and about 270 pounds to its curb weight.
Those extra pounds take their toll on the electric driving range of i3s equipped with the range extender, with this model able to travel just 97 miles on a charge, per the EPA. Nevertheless, the two-cylinder can take the i3 an additional 83 miles (by the EPA’s estimates) before its tiny 2.4-gallon gas tank needs a fresh batch of premium-grade fuel, so its net range is 180 miles. That’s a 30-mile improvement over prior i3s fitted with the range extender, which had the smaller battery pack (21.6 kWh) and carried even less fuel (1.9 gallons).
While the larger-capacity battery can take the i3 farther than before, it’s not without its trade-offs. The 33.2-kWh pack takes up the same amount of space as the smaller unit, but it weighs about 75 pounds more and takes longer to charge. BMW estimates that fully charging the 33.2-kWh pack requires about four hours and 30 minutes on a 240-volt power source, or one hour longer than its claim for the smaller battery. Using a 50-kilowatt DC fast-charging system, the i3 can be charged to 80 percent capacity in about 40 minutes, BMW says, while the smaller pack needs only around 25 minutes.
The range extender’s extra mass also reduces overall efficiency. The EPA rates the big-battery i3 at 118 MPGe combined, compared with the base model’s 124 and the range-extended version’s 111 MPGe. With the two-cylinder humming away, the last model returns just 35 mpg combined. We recorded 79 MPGe over 497 miles of mixed driving, which included use of the range extender.
Same as Ever
Battery capacity and fuel-tank size aside, the i3 is largely the same electric hatchback that entered the U.S. market three years ago. A single 170-hp permanent-magnet synchronous AC motor just ahead of the rear axle (next to the range extender, in this case) powers the rear wheels.
Limited mass continues to be key to the i3’s efficiency and performance, while the aluminum chassis and carbon-fiber body surely contribute to the high price. Our i3 test car with the range extender weighed a reasonable 3204 pounds, or just two pounds heavier than our long-term Subaru Impreza hatchback and 731 pounds lighter than the last electric Mercedes-Benz B-class we tested.
Thanks to an instantaneous 184 lb-ft of torque, the i3 steps off the line and can pass slower traffic with impressive authority. This car needed a reasonable 7.2 seconds to get from zero to 60 mph, or 0.1 second less than a Volkswagen Golf 1.8T with an automatic transmission. The BMW hatchback required just 2.7 seconds to accelerate from 30 to 50 mph, equal to the time put up by a BMW M240i with an automatic, a car with more than twice the torque and almost twice the horsepower.
Opt for the range extender and the i3 comes standard with staggered-size Bridgestone Ecopia EP600 all-season tires, 155/70R-19 in front and 175/60R-19 at the rear. These wheels and tires look more like the circular blades of pizza cutters than useful tools for keeping the slab-sided Bimmer planted to the ground.
Unsurprisingly, the narrow tires resulted in an unimpressive 0.77 g of grip on our skidpad, while coming to a halt from 70 mph ate up 184 feet. Those seeking additional grip would be wise to opt for the i3’s 20-inch wheels, which come wrapped in stickier summer tires and add $1300 to the car’s sticker price. Although a pricey upsell, the combo helped a 2014 i3 with range extender record 0.80 g of grip and stop from 70 mph in only 160 feet.
In day-to-day driving, the i3’s brake pedal is rarely used, as the aggressive regenerative braking system can bring the car to a complete stop when the driver simply lifts off the accelerator. Although the sensation can be unusual at first, using just one pedal quickly becomes second nature. Trying to avoid using the brake pedal is among the more entertaining elements of piloting the i3. That’s no knock on the car’s dynamics; its rearward weight bias and quick steering work with the rear-drive powertrain to make the hatchback an engaging tool on the road. Push beyond its tires’ capabilities, and it understeers gently and predictably.
The Worlds Are Yours
The 33.2-kWh i3 starts at $45,445—$2050 more than the smaller-battery version—and is available in four trim levels, or Worlds in BMW marketing parlance. The default Deka World comes standard with cloth seats, a 6.5-inch multimedia screen, and automatic climate control; another $1400 nabs buyers the Mega World, which includes the Smoker’s package and seats clad in cloth and vinyl. Spend an additional $400 for the Giga World, which brings wood trim and seats covered in cloth and leather, while another $800 brings entrance to the full-leather Tera World model.
Every i3 includes an open and airy cabin design that features a low-mounted dashboard, upright seating, and quality construction. We were partial to our Giga World test car’s eucalyptus wood trim on the dash and seats with brown leather inserts that gave the interior a warm and inviting appearance. This made the cabin look cozy rather than tiny, although the reality is that the rear seating area is just plain cramped.
Two option packages are available in all the i3 worlds: the $1000 Parking Assistance package and the $2350 Technology and Driving Assistant package. The former adds a rearview camera, front and rear parking sensors, and an automated parking system. The latter package includes a larger multimedia screen with a navigation system featuring real-time traffic information and active-safety features, including adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more. Our test car came with both bundles, plus a coat of $700 Protonic Blue paint, inflating its as-tested price to $55,145. The i3 is also currently eligible for a federal tax credit of up to $7500, effectively bringing our car’s as-tested price down to $47,645.
Counting Coins
Crunch the numbers and the i3 makes little sense compared with less expensive electric vehicles with longer ranges, such as the Chevrolet Bolt. Yet, with its concept-car design and beautifully crafted cabin, the i3 is an electric car that feels and looks special. For some, that will be reason enough to choose this BMW over more pragmatic EVs.
Specifications >
VEHICLE TYPE: mid-motor, rear-wheel-drive, 4-passenger, 4-door hatchback
PRICE AS TESTED: $55,145 (base price: $49,295)
MOTOR TYPE: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 170 hp, 184 lb-ft; 33.2-kWh lithium-ion battery pack
TRANSMISSION: 1-speed direct drive
GENERATOR: permanent-magnet synchronous AC, 25 kW (driven by a DOHC 8-valve 647-cc inline-2, 38 hp, 41 lb-ft)
DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 101.2 in
Length: 157.8 in
Width: 69.9 in Height: 62.1 in
Passenger volume: 84 cu ft
Cargo volume: 15 cu ft
Curb weight: 3204 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 7.2 sec
Zero to 90 mph: 19.0 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 7.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.7 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 4.7 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 16.0 sec @ 85 mph
Top speed (governor limited): 92 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 184 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.77 g
FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA combined/city/highway: 35/36/33 mpg
EPA combined gasoline+electricity: 111 MPGe
C/D observed: 79 MPGe
