Let’s start with the design, which hasn’t altered but probably didn’t need to because the i8 is still startlingly stunning when it’s stopped and even more impressive when the dihedral doors are opened upward.
Although the i8 blends this interior design with the typical levels of BMW functionality, the cabin also offers a sense of the future. It even includes two tiny rear seats for kids since it is a 2+2. In addition, there is a luggage compartment located behind the engine, however it is somewhat small due to the storage of two charging wires.
The outside is stunning, and the interior is also really remarkable. However, the really intriguing technology is hidden behind the skin.
A plug-in hybrid is the i8. This implies that it has a gasoline engine that is linked to a six-speed Steptronic transmission and an electric motor that is driven by a lithium-ion battery and has a two-speed automatic gearbox. The lithium-ion battery’s energy capacity has increased from 20Ah to 34Ah in the most recent model of the i8, and the electric motor’s maximum power has improved by 12hp to 143hp.
You could assume that the ‘traditional portion’ of the i8’s powertrain is similar to a BMW 6-cylinder, 3-liter gasoline engine based on the vehicle’s appearance. But instead, a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder petrol engine that came from a MINI is sat behind the passengers. a supercar powered by a 1.5-liter, 3-cylinder gasoline engine? Really? But keep in mind that the 231 horsepower of the gasoline engine is complemented by a 143 horsepower electric motor, giving the system a total power output of 374 horsepower. Now that you mention it, it makes more sense. It’s also important to note that the gasoline engine now has a particle filter.
The i8’s ability to transfer its power to the road is another concern. The front wheels receive power from the electric motor while the rear wheels receive it from the mid-mounted gasoline engine. All-wheel drive is created when these two propulsion methods are combined.
The i8 features two powertrains but only 1,535 kg of total weight thanks to its carbon fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP) passenger cell.
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Range and gas efficiency [edit]
Under the NEDC cycle, the production i8’s 7.1 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, which had an useable capacity of 5.2 kWh, provided an all-electric range of 37 km (23 mi). The range in EV mode was 15 miles (24 kilometers) under the EPA cycle, and the overall range was 330 miles.
According to the NEDC test, the production model’s fuel efficiency was 2.1 L/100 km (134.5 mpg-imp; 112.0 mpg-US), with carbon emissions of 49 g/km. With an energy consumption of 43 kW-hrs/100 mi and a gasoline consumption of 0.1 gal-US/100 mi, the i8 combined fuel economy in EV mode was rated at 76 equivalent (MPG-equivalent) (3.1 L gasoline equivalent/100 km; 91 mpg-imp gasoline equivalent). In the city, the combined fuel efficiency when using only gasoline (after the battery had been completely discharged) was 28 mpg-US (8.4 L/100 km; 34 mpg-imp), and on the highway, it was 29 mpg-US (8.1 L/100 km; 35 mpg-imp).
Utility factors for plug-in hybrids were added to the 2014 edition of the Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends report by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to indicate the proportion of miles that an average driver would cover in electric only or blended modes. The BMW i8 Coupe’s utility factor in EV mode was 37%, while that of the BMW i3 REx was 83%, the Chevrolet Volt was 66%, the Cadillac ELR was 65%, the Ford Energi models were 45%, the McLaren P1 was 43%, the Porsche Panamera S E-Hybrid was 39%, and the Toyota Prius PHV was 29%.
The 2018 BMW i8 Roadster and i8 Coupe’s battery capacity was increased, reaching a gross energy content of 11.6 kWh. Both the BMW i8 Coupe and BMW i8 Roadster now have an all-electric range of 55 km (34 mi) and 53 km (33 mi), respectively, in the NEDC test. The range barely rose by 15 miles (24 kilometers) under the U.S. EPA driving cycle, to 18 miles.
The BMW i8’s fuel efficiency and all-electric range ratings from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for model years 2014 through 2020 are listed below.
- In EPA tests, the i8 went the first 18 kilometers without using any gasoline. Depending on how it is driven, it may need gas.
- In EPA tests, the i8 went the first 15 kilometers without using any gasoline. Depending on how it is driven, it may need gas. There was no MY rating for 2018.
Engineering and Design
People will stop wherever you go in the i8 to take pictures of it with their iPhones and, if they have the chance, to talk to you. Despite the wide disparity in understanding of the vehicle, everyone agrees that the i8 looks stunning when parked by the side of the road. Since the i8 has a drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.26, it is obvious that aerodynamics plays a major role in its design. When the gullwing-style doors are opened, the striking appearance causes an even sharper intake of breath.
Once inside, which necessitates some agility due to the relatively small and oddly formed entrance aperture, the interior also exhibits a significant amount of design flare, with numerous curved, layered surfaces. Everything is still where you want it and has the same superior ergonomic design as any other BMW cabin. We haven’t yet discovered a better in-car infotainment control system than BMW’s iDrive controller, but the head-up display is excellent. Importantly, the basic driving posture, like almost all other BMWs, is ideal and offers a wide range of modification.
Surprisingly, there is a good deal of storage space between the seats, in addition to the roomy center tube where the batteries are located. The “2+2” back seats, however, are cramped, and the boot is also quite small.
Things are equally inventive underneath the surface. The i8 is essentially a mid-engined vehicle thanks to its 3-cylinder, 1.5-liter turbocharged petrol engine, which is located between the rear seats and the rear wheels. The 6-speed automatic transmission used to drive the rear wheels of this power unit, which is based on the engine used in the new MINI Cooper, is lighter than the 8-speed automatic transmission often found in modern BMWs.
However, there is also a 96kw electric motor under the hood that is driven by a lithium-ion battery that runs up the middle of the vehicle. The front wheels are propelled by this electric drivetrain.
The i8 can be powered only by electricity, by gasoline, or by a combination of the two. The car has front-wheel drive if it is only powered by electricity. It has rear-wheel drive if only powered by gasoline. When used gradually, the i8 is all-wheel drive when using gasoline and electricity as power sources.
BMW has made significant efforts, like with the i3, to make the i8 as light as possible. The chassis is made of aluminum, while the passenger structure is made of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The i8 only weights 1490kg despite having 100kg of batteries. Even with all of this complicated packing, BMW was still able to maintain its distinctive 50:50 weight distribution and low center of gravity.
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 claimed, realistically, you should expect 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.
According to the head of BMW’s research and development, a petrol engine is necessary because the company wants to sell the i8 globally.
According to a report by Autocar, unlike the Vision EfficientDynamics concept and prototype on which the i8 is based, BMW’s future i8 supercar won’t be a diesel-electric hybrid.
BMW’s recently revealed “i” sub-brand will debut the i8 supercar in 2013, although it will have a gasoline engine instead.
According to Klaus Draeger, chief of research and development at BMW, “We intend to market [the i8] globally. Only Europe truly needs to worry about diesel.”
Although Draeger declined to reveal the i8’s petrol engine, it is difficult to conceive that it would rival the three-cylinder turbo-diesel from the original VED concept car in terms of efficiency and power. This 1.5-liter engine produced 290 Nm of torque and 163 PS (120 kW or 161 bhp) of horsepower. Total output for the Vision EfficientDynamics when the electric motor was added was 328 PS (241 kW / 323 bhp), with a rating of 3.76 liters/100 km (62.5 mpg US) and CO2 emissions of 99 g/km.
BMW might be able to equal the diesel-powered i8’s 4.8-second zero to 100 km/h or 62 mph sprint speed, but will it be able to match those consumption numbers with a 700 km (434 mile) range on a 24 liter tank as well?
BMW i8
Currently, the i8 is offered in coupe and roadster body styles, with the latter including a power-folding top that can be lowered in 15 seconds. Furthermore, the battery now has an 11.6 kWh capacity, enabling an estimated EV range of 55 km for the coupe and 53 km for the Roadster. Last but not least, this year’s plug-in hybrid powertrain gets 12 horsepower, bringing its output to 369. The i8 is an old car, but people still stop to stare at its futuristic design.