Eye-opening i3

Roland Rendell relishes the opportunity to put BMW’s range extending variant of the ground-breaking i3 through its paces

I have driven almost all EVs launched over the last couple of years, yet there remains the belief that until the Germans get involved, the market will not take off. Well, that time has come. 2014 sees Volkswagen and Audi enter in to the EV arena, but it’s BMW that has perhaps re-shaped this fledgling market with the introduction of the i3.

Winner of the GreenFleet Award for Industry Innovation, this game‑changing BMW i3 is like no other. Its rivals are a mix of purpose-built EVs and existing models with an electric motor dropped in the front or back. But they all have one thing in common – they’re wrapped in one kind of metal or another. Not the i3.

The programme that spawned this model – Project i – has given us a few tasters. The first phase included the Mini E, which began field testing in 2009. This was succeeded in the second phase by the ActiveE, a 1-series that previewed the i3’s electric motor and entered two years of global testing in 2012 with a fleet of 1100 cars, including use during the London Olympics.

The i3 represents the result of all that was learned in that period. There are two versions to choose from – a pure electric car with a range of between 80 and 100 miles, and the Range Extender (i3 REx), which offers the same electric powertrain but with the addition of an on-board petrol‑powered generator. So, when the battery becomes depleted, the generator kicks in to ensure that you can continue your journey.

Its Genes
The i3 is constructed predominantly from Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic which allows the car to counterbalance the 230kg of the 22kWh lithium ion battery pack from which the i3 draws its power. The REx is the heaviest i3, weighing 1,315kg, yet that’s 150kg lighter than the Renault ZOE Dynamique Intens

A twin-cylinder bike engine is secreted beneath the boot floor, designed to ease range anxiety. As part of the weight‑saving mission, this car also has hollow driveshafts, lightweight cabin fittings (even a honeycomb windscreen wiper) and forged aluminium suspension and wheels, which measure just five inches wide but 19 inches in diameter, all designed for better aerodynamics and low rolling resistance.

Inside
The i3’s interior is quite a change. You almost ‘perch’ upright on firm, flat seats that are quite elevated. The enlarged windscreen gives a sense of airiness and space. The ‘recycled fibre’ look of the trim, coupled with the ash‑like wood, certainly gives the car a very different look indeed.

BMW has done away with the instrument cluster completely, opting instead for a pin‑sharp screen ahead of the driver. Most other functions are displayed on a larger 6.5-inch widescreen display controlled by the familiar iDrive twiddler.

When I looked at the ‘Drive Selector’, poking up off the steering column, almost American-style, I wasn’t overly impressed. But having now used it, what’s most pleasing is that for the first time, if you want to go forwards, you flick it forwards. If you want to reverse, you flick it backwards.

Some will find the doors on the i3 frustrating. The removal of B-pillars and use of coach doors is modern, stylish and unusual, but the opening is slender and the space they access isn’t particularly roomy.

The size of the i3’s boot is impressive, even if you’ve opted for the range extender. Certainly big enough for a sales rep’s bits and pieces.
 
The i3 will stand out from the crowd, not because it’s ugly, but because it looks like nothing BMW have ever produced.

The Drive
The drive is as silent as you’d expect, and kind of spooky. I am used to driving EVs, but the initial movement within one always throws me out somewhat. A few hundred yards down the road, I lift off the accelerator – and I honestly thought I had hit the brakes. The regenerative braking on this car is like nothing I have ever experienced. And if you can glance at the display in front of you, you can see the system capturing that energy and ramming it back in to the battery.

Because only the BMW i3’s electric motor is connected to its (rear) driven wheels, this city car has the kind of power delivery that we’ve come to expect from a pure EV.

With peak torque from zero revs, you put your foot down and the i3 responds immediately and strongly.

The 0-62mph sprint is claimed to take 7.9 seconds in the REx, and is accompanied by a seamless, prolonged push in the back. The top speed may be only 93mph, but how it gets there is amazing. The all-electric model, which weighs 120kg less, shaves 0.7sec off that, and has the same top speed.

Unlike most plug-in hybrids, the range‑extending petrol engine never drives the wheels. Normally, I would be frightened to use a heavy foot in an EV because of the rapidly reduced range it brings. And on battery power alone, the i3, in my hands, returned a typical range of about 75 miles. But, I needed to see what happened when the range-extender kicked in. As the range dwindled away, I heard the gentle rumble of what sounded like a muffled pneumatic drill from a distance. Accompanied by the gentle vibration through the steering wheel, I realised the REx had roared in to life and a moment later, it was forgotten about. It provides a reassuring additional 80-mile comfort blanket.

With a fresh charge and a fresh tank, you can expect to comfortably do over 150 miles before having to find a power source.

Money talks
The i3 is not cheap. Without the government grant, the model starts at just over £30k for the all-electric version and almost £34k for the REx. Even with the government’s scheme taken into account, the REx will cost you a bit more than a BMW 120d SE. It is also nearly £5k more expensive than the Nissan Leaf.

However, BMW calls the i3 the first ‘premium electric car’, and I believe that the description is justified.

Financially, it can still stack up too; it can save thousands on fuel over its lifecycle, if you drive it properly. The battery, bought with the car rather than leased, comes with an eight year or 100,000-mile warranty.

The i3 will become the benchmark for other OEMs to strive to. It oozes class, drives like a dream, is a head-turner, and, despite a relatively high initial outlay, you can still make this machine work out financially.

BMW i3 Range Extender
ENGINE: 125kW electric motor, 650cc two-cylinder four-stroke petrol engine
CO2: 13g/km
RANGE: 150 miles
VED: Band A
BIK: 5%
PRICE (OTR): £28,830 (inc VAT, after government grant)