As part of an update for the 2017 model year, BMW is taking a cue from Tesla and giving the i3 electric car with a larger battery-pack option. A new option that costs $2050 raises the battery capacity to 33.2 kWh, providing an EPA-rated 114 miles of driving range on a full charge—33 miles more than the base model. The base BMW i3 still employs the same 21.6-kWh lithium-ion battery pack as i3s from the past. BMW chose to potentially mislead customers by naming the available batteries based on their ampere-hour ratings, in contrast to Tesla, which follows the tradition of adding the energy capacity of its batteries, in kilowatt-hours, in the names of its automobiles. Despite the fact that 21.6 kWh and 33.2 kWh and 60 Ah and 94 Ah appear to be more impressive on paper, you will only hear us refer to the later pair.)
The i3 is available with a range extender, a tiny 647-cc inline-two-cylinder gasoline engine positioned directly front of the rear axle but with no connection to the driving wheels, much like in previous years. The 38-hp twin’s sole function is to drive a generator that, should the battery pack’s charge drop below a predetermined level, keeps it there. This range extender, which is now exclusive to the i3 equipped with the larger battery, raises the price by $3850 and increases the curb weight by around 270 pounds.
The i3s fitted with the range extender suffer from those extra pounds, since the EPA estimates that this model can only drive 97 miles on a single charge. However, the EPA estimates that the i3’s two-cylinder can travel a further 66 miles before needing to refill its tiny 2.4-gallon gasoline tank, giving it a net range of 180 miles. Compared to earlier models of the i3 equipped with the range extender, which had a smaller battery pack (21.6 kWh) and carried even less fuel, this model has a 30-mile improvement (1.9 gallons).
The i3 can travel further than previously because to the larger battery, but there are trade-offs. The 33.2-kWh pack weighs roughly 75 pounds more and requires more time to charge than the smaller battery, but it occupies the same amount of space. According to BMW, the 33.2 kWh battery pack needs four hours and thirty minutes to fully charge when using a 240-volt power supply, which is an hour more time than it claimed for the smaller battery. According to BMW, the i3 can be charged to 80% of its capacity using a 50-kilowatt DC fast-charging system in about 40 minutes, while the smaller pack only requires around 25 minutes.
The additional mass of the range extender also lowers overall efficiency. The original model gets 124 MPGe, while the range-extended variant gets 111 MPGe, according to the EPA, who rates the big-battery i3 at 118 MPGe combined. The latest model only achieves 35 mpg combined with the two-cylinder running. Over 497 miles of mixed driving, which included using the range extender, we obtained 79 MPGe.
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an analysis of the BMW i3 Rex
Want a high-end EV but suffer from severe range anxiety? Similar to the i3 electric vehicle, the new BMW i3 Rex differs significantly in that it has a longer range.
As a result, it’s a really alluring offer for customers who want an upscale EV so they can contribute to the environment but who nevertheless struggle with persistent range anxiety. This eye-catching vehicle, which combines an electric motor and a gasoline engine, can accelerate from 0 to 62 mph in 8.1 seconds and has a 288-mile operating range. Good, huh?
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That may seem a bit extravagant, and it is, but keep in mind how little you will be paying for fuel. According to a basic calculation and subject to the terms of your electricity contract, a full charge in a BMW can cost about PS3. For driving upwards of 120 miles, that is not much. If you drive 10,000 miles in a year, your energy costs come to roughly PS250. This is when the leasing cost starts to get intriguing.
Even yet, range anxiety doesn’t seem to be as severe a problem as it was when I had the i3 18 months prior. To begin with, there are more charging stations. Additionally, the price of residential installation has decreased slightly. The range-extender edition of the automobile is said to have a total range of 276 miles, or north of 200 miles in real-world terms, thanks to BMW’s increase of the battery to a 94Ah unit.
What Is The Range Extender For The BMW i3?
With a 22 kWh (18.8 kWh useable) battery, the BMW i3 has an electric car range of 80 to 100 miles. By adjusting the accelerator pedal response, the ECO PRO mode can extend the range by 12%, and the ECO PRO+ mode can extend the range by up to 24% by lowering the top speed to 55 mph and switching the heating and cooling systems to their most energy-saving settings. Its 170 horsepower electric motor and 184 lb-ft of torque enable it to reach 60 mph in 7.2 seconds, go from 50 to 75 mph in 4.9 seconds, and reach a top speed of 93 mph despite weighing only 2799 pounds.
Small 2 cylinder, 0.647 liter (39.5 cubic inch), inline 4-valve per cylinder gasoline engine, the Range Extender generates 34 horsepower and 40 lb-ft of torque at 4300 revolutions per minute. The wheels are not connected to the gasoline engine, which is just used to recharge the batteries. You can go between 160 and 180 miles with the Range Extender. ECO PRO and ECO PRO+ both extend the range by 12% and 24%, respectively, similar to the all-electric model.
The weight of a BMW i3 fitted with a range extender is increased by 265 lbs, bringing the total weight of the vehicle to 3064 lbs. Although the highest speed stays the same, the additional weight somewhat reduces performance. (0.7 seconds slower than the all-electric version) The sprint from 0 to 60 mph takes 7.9 seconds, and the sprint from 50 to 75 mph takes 5.5 seconds (0.6 seconds slower).
BMW stopped producing the i3 range extender when?
The BMW i3 had a unique architecture, unlike many hatchback-sized, all-electric vehicles that use the same underpinnings as their internal combustion counterparts. This contributed to the newly established electrified BMW I subdivision’s credibility in 2013, which was further strengthened by the plug-in hybrid i8 the following year.
In addition to demonstrating BMW’s commitment to the pure-electric industry, the i3’s platform also made it possible for it to acquire upgraded powertrains over the course of its lifecycle. It had an initial range of only 81 miles with a 22.6kWh battery pack (19kWh of which were serviceable). With a two-cylinder motorcycle engine from BMW Motorrad, the range-extender version of the i3 was available from the start and extended the vehicle’s range by 150 miles.
In 2017, BMW discontinued the range-extender variant and added a larger 33kWh battery to the pure-electric vehicle, extending the range to 114 miles. The facelifted BMW i3 was introduced at the Frankfurt Motor Show of the same year with revised front and rear bumpers, standard-fit LED headlights, and updated wheel arch trims. Range was increased to 187 miles, and a sportier i3s model with a more potent motor, lowered suspension, and a wider track joined the lineup. With the most recent version of the iDrive system integrated into the 10.25-inch screen on the dash, the inside of the i3 remained almost unaltered.
The range was increased to a maximum of 190 miles in 2019 thanks to the installation of a larger 42.2kWh battery pack.
BMW declared that it would stop producing the i3 in 2022. In June 2022, a few weeks after sales of the i3 reached over 250,000 units worldwide, the final one rolled off the production line in Leipzig, Germany.
Similar to the final 18 limited edition i8s in 2020, BMW commissioned 18 units of the i3 to celebrate the end of production. Each unit was painted in BMW’s Galvanic Gold Metallic.
How many additional miles does the BMW i3 get from the Range Extender?
Increases driving enjoyment: The BMW i3’s optional Range Extender, which is situated next to the electric motor in the back of the vehicle, can extend the vehicle’s range in COMFORT Mode from up to 125 miles to a total of 205 miles. The BMW i3 can continue to operate solely on electricity thanks to the small, noiseless two-cylinder petrol engine that powers a generator that keeps the high-voltage battery’s charge level constant. When the battery level is low, the Range Extender automatically turns on.
On a BMW i3, how do you turn on the range extender?
You can manually start the range extender with the iDrive if you want to save the electric charge for later in the journey. Press the MENU button, then, with the iDrive Controller, choose “Settings,” “Range Extender,” and then “Hold State of Charge.”
Uses gas the BMW i3 range extender?
One of the most technologically advanced cars on the market, the BMW i3 is entirely electric, so users never have to worry about fuel prices.
BMW i3 dependability
Is a pre-owned BMW i3 hatchback trustworthy? The i3 placed fourth out of nine electric vehicles in its class, receiving a score of 94.1% in our most recent dependability study. A solid achievement for BMW as a brand, placing 13th out of 30 manufacturers.
How far can a BMW i3 travel?
The EPA estimates that the BMW i3 has a range of 153 miles. The electric-only range is reduced to 126 miles when the two-cylinder gas engine range extender is added, but the overall range is increased to 200 miles. The Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt are still ahead in terms of battery-electric automobiles.