The BMW i8 Coupe has a combined fuel economy rating of 149.8 mpg and CO2 emissions of 42 g/km. The official range of the electric vehicle is 34 miles, which represents an increase of 50% over the previous generation. These numbers are from the updated WLTP test, however they have also been connected to the NEDC “equivalent.”
The official combined fuel economy for PHEVs in NEDC testing and the new WLTP cycle, as regular readers of Green Car Guide reviews are aware, is meaningless because real-world economy will fully depend on how far you drive and what percentage of your journey is done on electric power.
We averaged 44.0 mpg on the 350-mile trip from Manchester to Birmingham to Bedford and back in the real-world test described above. That’s a commendable outcome for a vehicle like the i8 that is enjoyable to drive. We got 51.5 mpg on average overall. Of course, getting the official 150 mpg rating could be simple if you only drive locally and with electric power.
In eDrive mode, you can travel up to 75 mph on electric power. When the gasoline tank and batteries were both full, the i8 showed a range of 380 to 500 miles.
The i8 has to be plugged in to charge, just like any other plug-in vehicle. It is advised to use a home charger, while you may also use quick and rapid public chargers all throughout the UK.
In This Article...
BMW i8
BMW created the plug-in hybrid sports automobile known as the BMW i8. The i8 was marketed under the BMW I subbrand and was a member of BMW’s electrified lineup. The BMW i8 production model debuted at the 2013 Frankfurt Auto Show and went on sale in Germany in June 2014. In August 2014, deliveries to retail consumers in the US started. In May 2018, a roadster variation was released. June 2020 marked the end of production.
The 2015 BMW i8 featured an electronically regulated peak speed of 250 km/h and could accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.4 seconds (155 mph). A 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack allowed the 2015 model year i8 to have an all-electric range of 37 kilometers (23 miles) on the New European Driving Cycle. The range in EV mode was 24 km when tested using the U.S. EPA cycle (15 mi). In 2018, BMW upped the battery capacity of the i8 Roadster and Coupe to 11.6 kWh, extending the NEDC electric range to 55 km (34 mi) for the coupe and 53 km (33 mi) for the roadster.
Under the NEDC test, the BMW i8 coupe’s fuel economy was 2.1 L/100 km (134.5 mpg-imp; 112.0 mpg-US), with carbon emissions of 49 g/km. The i8’s combined fuel efficiency was assessed by the EPA at 76 MPGe (3.1 L gasoline-equivalent/100 km; 91 mpg-imp gasoline-equivalent) and 29 miles per gallon (6.7 L/100 km) while it was operating in pure gasoline mode.
The BMW i8 became the most popular plug-in electric sports car in the world by March 2020, with global sales of all variants topping 20,000 units, outpacing the combined sales of all rivals in its sector.
Can the performance hybrid from BMW provide the thrills of a traditional sports car?
The i8 is an emissions-focused vehicle, as you might imagine. It can be driven totally on electricity for 22 miles at up to 75 mph, or you may combine the two power sources when the car is in EcoPro mode to provide a total range of 330 miles.
Although 134 mpg of fuel consumption is stated, really, you should anticipate to get closer to 35 to 40 mpg in everyday driving. Since the implementation of new VED laws in April 2017, vehicles with emissions of 49g/km are no longer exempt from the congestion charge and VED.
The i8 will, in general, be more efficient than almost every other conventionally powered vehicle in its class in daily driving, but those claimed economy figures are, at best, fanciful unless you spend most of your time driving about solely on battery power. As a result, the i8 is most advantageous financially and practically when the owner can charge it frequently, maybe both at home and at work.
BMW i8: more power, greater range, and a new Roadster starting at $164,295
BMW is giving its three-year-old alternative flagship some new life in order to boost performance, extend range, and add some elegance.
The i8’s update, dubbed a “mid-cycle refresh” in the industry and unveiled at the 2017 Los Angeles Auto Show, extends the all-electric vehicle’s range from 15 to 18 miles by increasing the battery capacity from 7.1 to 11.7 kilowatt-hours.
However, you could be missing the point if you purchase the i8 primarily for its electric-mode range.
Instead, a 141 horsepower electric motor, an increase of 12 horsepower over the previous motor, is powered by the more durable battery.
The 1.5-liter turbocharged inline-3 combustion engine, which has been modified to make less noise, is nevertheless coupled with the more potent motor.
A net 369 horsepower is now produced by the combined system, up from 362 horsepower in the previous iteration.
The new 2009 BMW i8 Roadster, which is stealing the show in Hollywood, is the biggest news for BMW’s alternative-powertrain I brand, not the i8’s drivetrain enhancements.
The i8 Concept Spyder’s successor, the production convertible, makes its debut five years after that. It loses the ability to seat passengers in the back and weighs 132 pounds more than the coupe.
The i8 Roadster features frameless doors, a vertical rear window, a redesigned engine cover, and new aerodynamic cowls to help direct air to the Roadster’s rear spoiler winglets, aside from its powered soft-top and lack of rear thrones.
The soft-top of the Roadster can be raised and dropped at speeds of up to 31 mph, and BMW claims that the transformation process takes 16 seconds.
To guarantee performance is on line with the coupe, the i8 Roadster also gets a slew of upgrades under the hood.
The convertible received a customized suspension and damping tune, updated steering characteristics, strengthened roll stabilization, and improved steering.
The Roadster accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 4.4 seconds when combined with the i8’s improved drivetrain. Coupe models only succeed 0.2 seconds faster.
In the spring of 2018, the 2019 BMW i8 goes on sale. The new Roadster is priced at a steep $164,295 including destination, making it the most expensive vehicle in the BMW portfolio.
The price of the 2019 i8 Coupe is $148,495. All i8 variants include a head-up display for the driver in addition to heated front seats, 20-inch alloy wheels, and leather interior as standard equipment.
Only the Tera World trim package ($3,700 on Coupes, $2,500 on Roadsters), which mysteriously includes a “leather engine cover,” and $6,300 for laser headlights are available as options.
Economy and emissions of the BMW i8
The BMW i8’s official economy rating is 135 mpg, or 49 g/km of CO2. This number is the outcome of the absurd NEDC test for plug-in hybrids. Does this figure therefore resemble actual life in any way? No, unless your driving is an exact replica of the NEDC exam. This is how the i8’s economy played out for us. In total, we got 53.7 mpg. For a car with the i8’s aesthetics and performance, this is astounding.
If you drive the majority of the way on electric power alone and only sometimes utilize the petrol engine, you can get fuel economy of around 100 mpg. The i8 would need to be plugged in to charge in order to accomplish this, giving it an official electric range of 22 miles but a potential real-world electric driving range of up to about 15 miles.
The i8’s 3-cylinder petrol engine will struggle to work well if you drive it gradually due to the laws of physics; at worst, you’ll get roughly 30 mpg. That does, however, compare favorably to the amount you would get if you drove the majority of other supercars hard, which is probably around 10 mpg.
Thus, if you mostly use electric power to drive, the i8 can earn above 100 mpg (over short distances only). If you drive carefully, it can obtain about 50 mpg when operating as a hybrid. However, if you believe you can push it hard and still have fantastic fuel economy, then such a car has not yet been created, though 30 mpg while doing this is still extremely excellent.
It’s interesting to note that, like other BMWs, the i8’s dashboard fuel usage readout only goes up to 99.9 mpg. The fuel consumption computer in the BMW 116d ED was unable to record any statistics beyond 100 mpg, and it ultimately indicated only about 90 mpg when we scored 103 mpg in the Future Car Challenge (measured by filling the tank at the beginning and at the end of the event). Therefore, there is a chance that if you drive carefully, the i8’s fuel consumption readout will be worse than it actually is.
BMW i8 roadster photos
A three-cylinder gasoline engine and a hybrid synchronous electric motor power the i8 Roadster. The front wheels are propelled by the electric motor using a two-speed automatic gearbox, while the rear wheels receive power from the engine through a six-speed automatic transmission.
According to BMW, the percentage of miles driven where the car is powered completely by an electric motor has increased. When moving quickly, the combustion engine is only engaged; when traveling slowly, it is turned off more frequently. An upgraded lithium-ion battery from the i8 powers its increased electric-only range. The centrally positioned high-voltage unit has a 34 Ah cell capacity instead of the standard 20 Ah cell size. The motor now has access to additional energy as a result of everything. Additionally, the cell arrangement enables a 12 horsepower boost in peak output to 143 horsepower.
The i8 Roadster can now travel up to 33 miles on electricity alone, an increase from the previous 22 miles.
The 1.54 liter, three-cylinder combustion engine in the i8 has also been enhanced, now producing 231 horsepower. The system output produced by the engine and electric motor working together has grown from the coupe’s 357 horsepower to 374 hp. The new i8 Roadster has an electronically regulated top speed of 155 mph and only 4.6 seconds to accelerate to 60 mph.
What is the BMW i3’s range?
The Bolt EV’s 60.0-kWh battery and its EPA rating of 259 miles dwarf the i3’s 42.2-kWh battery pack’s 153-mile all-electric driving range rating. Similar to the Model 3, the Model 3 has a maximum range of 353 miles on its largest battery. However, only the i3 features a range-extension generator that starts when the battery’s charge drops below 5 percent and is powered by gasoline.
What is the top speed of the BMW i8?
The i8 has a top speed of 155 mph and can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in under 4.4 seconds (like most BMWs). As a result, its straight-line performance is comparable to that of a genuine BMW M vehicle.
The i8’s engine, which BMW expertly designed, is responsible for the power. Unbelievably, the 1.5-liter, three-cylinder MINI Cooper served as the engine’s source. However, it has been altered to provide more naughtiness, producing 231 horsepower while receiving an additional 143 horsepower from an electric motor. The i8 is by no means slow thanks to the innovative hybrid configuration.
As a result, the i8 not only has a sharp appearance but also has the ability to move quickly when necessary, and since it is a BMW, the driving experience is also rather good.
How quick is the BMW i8 when the restriction is off?
The M5 is undoubtedly the best, but there are other quick BMW alternatives available. Speed is provided by the 4.4 liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine used in the X5 M and X6 M. Both vehicles can reach 60 mph in less than 4.0 seconds. Although you wouldn’t anticipate a large SUV to have much power, BMW has succeeded in doing so. These two have a 155 mph limited top speed, but without the limiter, it would probably be much faster.
The i8 offers a somewhat speedier option; with this car, it takes 3.9 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. Two electric motors and a 1.5-liter three-cylinder engine are available. However, the vehicle’s small weight helps it reach a top restricted speed of 155 mph.
The M6 Gran Coupe must be mentioned when talking about quick BMW vehicles. When the competition package is selected, the horsepower increases from 560 to 600, adding significant power that allows it to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in under 3.8 seconds. However, the electronically restricted speed stays the same at 155 mph.
Another very quick choice is the M4 GTS. This vehicle has a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged I6 engine that produces 493 horsepower and can go from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 3.4 seconds. But it needs to be coupled with the DCT gearbox in order to reach that speed. It offers speed for an affordable price, starting at $64,200.
But the M3 is no slouch either. While the CRT has a top speed of 180 mph, the M3 GTS has a top speed of 190 mph.
Despite its weight, the M760Li, a Series 7 model, deserves to be on the list. A 6.6 liter twin-turbocharged engine with 600 horsepower and 590 lb-ft of torque powers the vehicle. In 3.6 seconds, it can accelerate to 60 mph.
This brand is known for being quick, but if you’re seeking for the fastest BMW currently on the market, one of these is probably your best bet.