Key Information

Design and technology the BMW i3 is a high-roof hatchback with an electric powertrain using rear wheel drive via a single-speed transmission and an underfloor Li-ion battery pack with an optional range-extending gasoline engine.

It is the first mass production car with most of its internal structure and body made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic (CFRP). It includes four doors and seating for four occupants with rear suicide doors. It has two pedals like all cars with automatic transmission. The accelerator pedal acts as both accelerator and engine brake. When the driver releases the pedal, the vehicle’s kinetic energy is regenerated by the vehicle drivetrain to recharge the battery. This has the effect of slowing the car down.

Information is provided to the driver through a 6.5 in freestanding instrument cluster and a 8.8 in central information display. The design of the doors, makes entry and loading simple and comfortable without disregarding safety, since the closed doors assume the protective function of the B-pillar.

Charging and connectivity the BMW i3 has a number of charging functions. This model allows you to charge the battery from a conventional socket or AC fast charging.

For AC fast charging you need to use the BMW i Wallbox Pure or any 3rd party charging equipment (EVSE) supporting 32A, when charging from 0 to 80% can take less than 3 hours with. The i3 also has a rapid charging option suitable for public DC charging stations and can take from 30 to 60 minutes to charge the 94Ah.

Fuel economy and range the 94Ah with 33 kWh battery model gives you a range of 97miles. The additional Range Extender, a twin-cylinder gasoline engine that give you extra range of 83miles.

The BMW i3 allows the driver to select the car energy consumption through three different drive modes:

Comfort

Eco Pro

Eco Pro+ mode.

In the standard Comfort mode the i3 with range extender delivers 160 to 180 miles in everyday driving conditions. The Eco Pro mode increases the driving range by around 12% through a different accelerator pedal mapping which uses less power. In Eco Pro+ mode, all settings are geared to achieving the maximum possible range, increasing the driving range by about 24% compared with Comfort mode. In this mode the maximum speed of the BMW i3 is limited to 90 km/h (56 mph) and electrical devices such as the heating and air conditioning are switched to energy-saving mode.