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.
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Engineering and Design
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.
What does the I in the BMW i8 stand for?
Born Electric served as the tagline for the 2011 launch of the BMW I brand. The letter I which once stood for injection in BMW’s gasoline and diesel engines, is now used to represent the future of mobility. A comprehensive approach to sustainable mobility is embodied by the BMW i. BMW considers not only the final product but also the manufacturing process, which now makes use of 100% green energy, renewable and recycled materials, and digital services while using 70% less water.
The first vehicle in the I Series was the BMW i3, which was introduced in 2014. Due to the combination of aluminum and carbon fiber, the i3 is an eco-friendly electric vehicle for city driving that isn’t any heavier than a regular vehicle. comprising a synchronous electric motor with a single gear and utilizing a 94Ah lithium-ion high-voltage battery (33kWh). It has 170 horsepower, enabling a 0-62 mph time of 7.3 seconds, but it also has a 186-mile range.
Eighty percent of all surfaces visible to front passengers on the i3 are constructed of recyclable or renewable materials, making it a showcase for environmentally friendly products. When it comes to resources, BMW I is also thinking along those lines; starting in 2021, its electric motors will utilize two-thirds less cobalt and no rare earths. One of the most popular high-end electric vehicles in Europe is the BMW i3.
A BMW i8 is it electric?
The 2021 i8 has a single powertrain that combines a 1.5-liter three-cylinder gas engine that has been turbocharged with an 11.6-kWh battery and two electric motors. The three engines work together to provide 369 horsepower, which can drive all four wheels.
Why did BMW discontinue the i8?
On Thursday, the final i8 to be produced rolled out of the Leipzig BMW facility. Actually, the PHEV’s manufacturing was scheduled to stop in the middle of April. However, because of the factory’s closure due to the coronavirus outbreak, manufacturing was delayed until June.
Since manufacturing on the i8 began six years ago, exactly 20,448 vehicles have been sent from the factory. According to a press release from BMW, the final vehicle was an i8 Roadster in “Portimao Blue” and it was sold to a buyer in Germany.
The i8 was the first plug-in hybrid vehicle in the whole BMW Group when it made its debut in 2014. The hybrid sports car was never successful outside of its specialized market due to its intricate carbon body and six-figure base price. The i8 “embodies the departure into electric mobility like no other car,” according to Hans-Peter Kemser, head of the BMW plant in Leipzig. The model served as the inspiration for the current variety of plug-in hybrid vehicles.
Currently, one shift of production for the Leipzig-based BMW i3 produces 116 units per day. Hans-Peter Kemser, the plant manager, claims that if demand for e-cars in Germany increases, production of the i3 might be expanded to two shifts and thus boosted to 250 units per day.
There won’t be a straight replacement for the i8. In the interim, there have been rumors that the 2019 Vision M Next concept car may be produced in large quantities. The BMW board of directors reportedly decided against the 441 kW sports car, also against the backdrop of the Corona crisis, primarily due to “costs and the volume,” according to media reports. However, the hybrid sports car (this time with a four-cylinder petrol engine instead of the three-cylinder in the i8) did not get beyond the planning stage.
The cost of a BMW i8.
The good news is that the price of the 2020 BMW i8 is same to that of the 2019 model. The bad news is that the Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) for a brand-new i8 Coupe is still $147,500; add $995 for destination, and the price comes to $148,495 overall. i8 Roadster 2020 costs $164,295
How many BMW i8s exist worldwide?
BMW i8 production is over, but the Germans made sure the hybrid sports vehicle made a statement by painting each of the remaining 18 units in a distinctive shade. These were colors that had never been used on the car during its entire manufacture run.
BMW claimed that producing 18 vehicles in a row in a unique color presented a hurdle. It required technicians to manually paint them. To obtain some components in the specific shade, the organization had to liaise with vendors.
Is the BMW i8 a trustworthy vehicle?
i8 BMW’s dependability BMW placed 27th overall in the 2020 edition (down two spots from 25th in 2019), with 20.4% of owners reporting one or more problems within the first year of ownership.
Will there be a BMW i8 in 2022?
The coronavirus epidemic delayed BMW’s plan to stop making the i8 in April 2020, delaying it to June instead. The PHEV is still listed in BMW USA’s sales chart for the first half of 2022, two years after the last vehicle—an i8 Roadster in Portimao Blue—rolled off the assembly line.
Between January and June, a total of five vehicles were sold, which is a 50% decrease from the same time last year. We wonder if the purchaser received a discount for purchasing a car that had been in a showroom for so long after BMW delivered a brand-new i8 in Q2 2022.
We’ll just remind you that the i8 wasn’t exactly inexpensive. It’s unclear whether of the five cars sold so far this year were coupes and which were roadsters. The model with the fixed roof started at just under $150,000 when it was at the end of its life cycle in the US, while the variant with the folding top cost almost $165,000 before options.
Speaking of the initial I vehicles, this week saw BMW say farewell to the i3 after producing 250,000 units over the course of nine years. Nine of the oddball hatchback’s vehicles have been delivered as of June, and it is included in the H1 2022 sales chart for North America. In the first three months of the year, they were all sold. BMW USA sold 851 cars last year.
When BMW stopped taking orders in February 2022, the tiny car was taken off the US market. Don’t be shocked if more are sold in the second half of the year because there are probably still quite a number on dealer lots.
In case you forgot, China is still home to the i3 brand. The i3 eDrive35L, a CLAR-based 3 Series Sedan EV based on the locally manufactured long-wheelbase model, is a whole distinct vehicle, though. According to a recent claim, BMW is developing a worldwide available i3 that will include an i3 Touring and be released in 2025 on the Neue Klasse platform.
The BMW i8 is still on sale.
The i8, the first plug-in hybrid model from German carmaker, was unveiled in production form at the Frankfurt auto show in 2013 and had its American debut in 2014.
The model did experience a 43% boost in sales last year on the big U.S. market, reaching 1,102 units. In Canada, where the i8 increased from a meager 18 units sold in 2018 to 264 last year, the growth was much more pronounced.
In order to focus on creating and releasing a number of new electric cars as part of its ambitious aim to market 25 electrified models by 2023, BMW is putting the i8 on hold.
The iNext SUV’s manufacturing is anticipated to start in the middle of 2021. The i4 sedan follows, with development expected to begin at the end of the same year. Following the cancellation of the Geneva Motor Show, this month saw the virtual debut of the latter model.
According to the European testing cycle, the i4 car and the iNext SUV should each have a range of about 600 km, which translates to 450–500 km in North America.