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.
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What about the i3’s charging?
According to BMW, the i3 variants have a range of between 177 and 193 miles, depending on the choices and equipment. In practical use, aim for 140–150 miles, averaging at least four miles per kWh. It’s a productive device.
On a 50kW fast charger, the 42.2kWh battery can be charged to 80% in 45 minutes. But it can’t take a charge any quicker than that.
Real-World Range: 165 to 360 km
a description of the real-world range in several contexts. Cold weather: “worst-case” depending on use of heating and a temperature of –10°C. Mild weather: “best-case” based on a 23°C temperature with no A/C use. A constant speed of 110 km/h is assumed for “Highway” numbers. The actual range will be influenced by driving style, speed, weather, and road conditions.
Additional Highway Range Test Findings
As always, we make every effort to exert as much control over the test’s variables as we can. Prior to each drive, the tires are always inflated to the manufacturer’s specifications. BMW suggests 39 psi for the front tires in this situation and 44 psi for the bigger rear tires.
At the beginning, it was 87 F (30 C) and by the time we were done, it was a humid 95 F (35 C). The fan speed was set to 1, which is the lowest level, and the air conditioning was on the entire drive with the temperature set at 70 degrees. We were driving in the Comfort drive setting with a mild wind of 4–5 mph.
The 2019 and 2020 BEV i3s have an EPA range rating of 153 miles. It’s odd because, according to a 2018 listing from BMW, the i3s has a shorter range than the i3 in general. The i3s’ range rating was 7 miles shorter, at 107 miles, than the 2018 BEV i3, which had an EPA-rated range of 114 miles.
But when BMW unveiled a new, larger battery pack in 2019 with a capacity of 44.2 kWh, they claimed that the i3 BEV and the i3s BEV had the same EPA-rated range of 153 miles. We anticipate that the range will be slightly lower than in 2018, as was the case with the i3s, given that it has wider tires and greater power than the standard i3.
When the test was over, the i3s had a range of 139.5 miles and was still 1% charged. Therefore, we think it’s OK to tack on 1.5 miles and declare this one to be 141 miles. The i3’s usable battery capacity is around 39.2 kWh (39.2 x 3.6 = 141). As a result, the average efficiency was 3.6 mi/kWh (17.2 kWh/100 km), which adds up.
I expected to finish with a little better consumption rate of 3.7 mi/kWh and reach closer to 150 miles because I’ve previously owned two i3s (a 2014 i3 REx and a 2018 i3s BEV), but that wasn’t to be. I never tested my cars’ continuous 70 mph range from 100% to 0%, though, and doing so is different from driving 40 or 50 miles at a fixed speed.
To truly obtain the complete average consumption rating, you must decrease from 100% to zero, or a value extremely near to zero. In many of my highway range tests, I’ve seen that the vehicle’s consumption rating is lower during the first half of the drive but then increases by one or two tenths in the second half.
In relation to the highway range tests:
We like to point out how imperfect these range testing are on a regular basis. Things like wind, traffic, topography, and weather are outside of our control. We nevertheless try to exert as much control as we can. We do these 70 mph range tests to add another data point for prospective clients who are seeking as much information as they can on the driving range. Check out the automobiles listed below that we tested for their 70 mph highway range in the past:
Did the outcomes match your expectations, roughly? Additionally, we’d like to know what readers think of our tests of the 70 mph range. Do you have a favorite EV you’d like us to range test next? Comment below with your thoughts and let us know.
Range i3 and MPGe
The fuel cell size and a device known as a Range Extender are the two most important variables, even if i3 range varies by trim and year.
A The i3 lithium-ion batteries have ranges between 80 and 180 miles on a full charge and have been as small as 22 kWh and as large as 42 kWh. Although the battery size was a contributing factor, the difference was quite large.
Some BMW i3 vehicles now come with a Range Extender, a little gas engine. The Range Extender solely produces power to charge the battery while moving, unlike a normal hybrid that employs a gasoline engine to power a powertrain. Consider it as a generator that is on board. A
The EPA created the MPGe metric, or miles per gallon of gasoline equivalent, for hybrid and emission-free automobiles. Range measures distance, whereas MGPe determines efficiency, and the two are not associated in any way. A
This comparison of two 2017 i3 models demonstrates how range and MPGe differ.
A
- The car to the left has a 22 kWh battery with an 81-mile range and 124 MPGe. A
- The vehicle to the right has a 33 kWh battery and a comparable 118 combined MPGe. It has a range of 114 miles.
- A A
Remember that these ratings come from recently manufactured new cars. It’s critical to monitor battery health and i3 range using Recurrent reporting because batteries deteriorate over time. a
Range of the i3 – Explanation
Your i3’s range may occasionally appear to be lower than the predicted value after completely charging. You see 65 miles (BEV model) as opposed to 85–100 miles. So what is happening?
Based on your driving history, the settings in your car, and its computer, your range is predicted. Additionally, it’s possible that your previous driving experience—perhaps with an icy or misted windscreen at the start—will have an impact on the range you’ve calculated for your upcoming trip. Hilly terrain increases battery drain as the car climbs; windy conditions, even if very marginally, require more electrical energy to drive through a headwind, and all that extra energy has to come from someplace. Nighttime and rainy weather also require headlights and wipers.
You’ll need to re-train the range-o-meter to start giving you a greater mileage if you’re only getting 65 miles of range on a full charge. It will be necessary to make a few driving style adjustments and make a few menu adjustments, which should change your anticipated range over a few days or recharges.
What BMW i3 has the greatest mileage?
The 2016 BMW i3 owned by Shaun Maidment has just clocked 300,000 kilometers! The most efficient i3 in Africa is Shaun’s car.
In August 2016, Shaun bought a BMW i3. In those five and a half years, this 60 Ah i3 has covered more over 300,000 miles with its original battery! According to EVdatabase, the BMW i3 has a 21.6 kilowatt-hour (kWh) battery with a usable capacity of 18.8 kWh and 60 AH cells. The battery in Shaun’s i3 still has roughly 16 kWh of useful capacity after 300,000 miles over five and a half years in warm, sunny South Africa, which is about 85% of its initial useable capacity.
Many of the 300,000 kilometers were traveled on highways. Before South Africa’s fast charging infrastructure was established, Shaun traveled by car from Johannesburg to Cape Town. The i3 that Shaun has is the one with the little gasoline range extender. But back then, he traveled 1500 kilometers without using the modest gasoline generator to help the batteries. The EPA range of the first-generation BMW i3 is roughly 130 kilometres. On the journey, Shaun had to inquire for standard plug points at coffee shops and lodgings. He completed the journey in 5 days. In recent months, as part of his work with Breev, he has been traveling once more throughout South Africa. In South Africa, Breev is extending the rollout of its AC level 2 chargers.
These real-world examples are crucial in the effort to inform and educate people about the potential lifespan of electric vehicle batteries. The majority of people’s practical battery knowledge will be derived through their use of cellphones, conventional 12V automobile batteries, and lead acid stationary storage batteries for their residential solar energy systems. Since they need to be replaced every two years or so, “When do I need to change the battery?” and “How much will it cost to change the battery?” are some of the most often queries we receive from individuals who are unfamiliar with electric vehicles.
Due to the excellent active thermal and battery management technologies found in modern electric vehicles, their lithium-based batteries last a lot longer than is typical. To reassure potential buyers, Toyota, for instance, emphasizes its battery warranty of one million kilometers. These examples from the real world in this region of the world are quite welcome. These practical use cases will go a long way toward allaying the majority of people’s worries about the battery life of contemporary electric vehicles and promoting the uptake of EVs.
He kept studying materials with energy-related applications while he was in college and eventually completed a PhD on the subject of radiation damage in high temperature gas-cooled nuclear reactors. Since then, he has switched to working in the solar and storage sector, and his obsession with batteries has made him a proponent of electric vehicles.
My BMW i3 can I add a 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 only on electricity thanks to the compact, 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.
Why is BMW ending production of the i3?
It is extremely heartbreaking to see BMW discontinue its little electric hatchback after nine years on the market given how great it was.
In 2011, as interest in electric vehicles increased, the BMW i3 was first unveiled as a concept car. The design was later evolved into a working model that was released for purchase in 2013 as a 2014 model. The BMW i3 has enjoyed considerable success since that time. The compact electric hatchback from BMW has sold over 250,000 units and was named the World Car Design and World Green Car of the Year winners at the 2014 World Car Awards.
Unfortunately, all wonderful things must eventually come to an end. BMW terminated the i3 in all markets in July 2022 after ceasing manufacturing for the US market in July 2021. The company cited consumer demand for larger-than-the-i3 electric automobiles as justification for the withdrawal. Another reason is that the manufacturer wants to move away from the i3’s distinctive appearance and produce electric vehicles with more traditional styling. The BMW i4 and BMW iX models are taking the place of the i3 as a result. We are sad to see the i3 depart, but there are other reasons as well.