New BMW i3 94Ah reviewed: Price, specs, features, consumption, engine and more
ELECTRICITY. Simply something to help boil your kettle in the morning or a source of power for you to run your next car?
For some, the idea of an electric car might still be a distant reality but there is evidence that things are beginning to change. More than 30,000 new electric cars are expected to be leaving UK showrooms this year.
Sales of plug-in motors are already up more than 50 per cent on 2015.
That is no real surprise either as an increasing numbers of car manufacturers are offering electric models in various forms, range anxiety is reducing among buyers as they adapt their driving habits accordingly and battery technology is advancing too.
A perfect example of which is this new BMW i3 94Ah. The 94Ah refers to the greater cell capacity in the BMW’s high-voltage battery and is improved from the original 60Ah version, giving it better range and performance. It is not as if the i3 was short of appeal though.
Introduced at the end of 2013, the unusual looks might not have been for everyone but with its unique option of being offered as a straight electric vehicle or with a small petrol engine range extender for those nervous about longer trips, there was a lot to like.
We even voted it one of our favourite cars of 2013. And while it isn’t about to trouble the 3-Series for outright sales, it was the UK’s third-bestselling electric car in 2015 and i3 sales so far this year had already overtaken all those of 2015 by the end of August.
The Government has just pledged a £10million investment to increase workplace and residential charging points too. Make no mistake, the electric car revolution is coming, it’s just coming slowly.
BMW i3 electric car on the streets of Amsterdam
In terms of the hard product for this new i3, not much has changed. Aside from some new trim and exterior colours and some slight performance gains, it looks much the same as the 2013 version.
The standard electric version generates the equivalent of 170bhp – enough to get it from 0 to 60mph in a sprightly 7.3 seconds and on to a 93mph top speed. Emissions are zero, obviously, but the range is a claimed 195 miles – up from 120 miles before.
In the real world, that means that the range has extended from around 90 to about 130 to 140 miles. By comparison, the range extender version has a longer claimed range of 276 miles (240 in the real world) but is slower in that initial sprint, with a 0 to 60mph time of 8.1 seconds.
On the road, the BMW remains as unique as ever to drive. Unlike any car with a conventional engine you have ever driven, the i3 is genuinely refreshing by forcing you to relearn your driving style.
The immediacy of reaction from the throttle pedal takes some getting used to and is enough to embarrass many hot hatches with its mid-range acceleration. But the reality is most drivers are unlikely to utilise that performance in everyday driving, preferring to eke out their range as much as possible.
A virtual horizontal sliding scale shows when you’re using up the electrical power or harvesting it via the regenerative brakes, and it also shows when you are in the sweet spot between the two, effectively making free progress.
The i3’s going may take your breath away but the stopping is something else again. It is no exaggeration to say the baby BMW’s brake pedal is verging on being redundant. That regenerative braking is surprisingly violent – similar to an old dynamo on your pedal bicycle when you stopped pedalling – but it does mean you quickly learn to gauge your progress simply via the throttle pedal.
It sounds a little odd but it rapidly becomes both enjoyable and addictive. Thankfully, the i3 also automatically engages the brake lights without touching the pedal when you decelerate for the benefit of those behind you.
USA: The self-driving BMW i3 can pick you up and park on command
The i3 isn’t a car that is likely to put a smile on your face with other elements of its driving experience though. The skinny 155/60 R20 tyres don’t offer much cornering grip and this is not a car you’re going to want to throw through bends with any kind of verve.
The ride is rather fidgety on less than billiard table-smooth roads too. There is always the interior to enjoy instead and while its sparse nature might not be to everyone’s taste, we like it.
There is a large glovebox and the iDrive controller for the infotainment system is the same as any other BMW, and while it is not luxurious, we like its light and open feel.
The back seats, accessed via the rear-hinged “suicide” doors, offer good headroom but adults are likely to find themselves cramped for legroom behind taller front passengers.
BMW i3 electric car on the streets of Amsterdam
The 260-litre boot is just about enough for your week’s shopping. Interestingly, despite the £3,150 premium for the range extender version, the buying habits of i3 have not proved as BMW predicted either.
With range anxiety issues over the original i3, BMW expected the range extender to account for more than threequarters of sales but in reality the split has been closer to 50/50 with this new 94Ah model likely to favour the all-electric car still further.
That is no real surprise either with the latter’s 120-mile real world range easily enough to cover most driver’s commutes. An ability to switch modes from Comfort to Eco Pro and Eco Pro+ gives further flexibility, enabling you to sacrifice top speed or luxuries such as climate control for range.
At a starting price of £27,830 (£30,980 for the range extender version), the new i3 is not cheap but most buyers are likely to purchase under finance deals which start from £269 a month.
Electricity could be charging your next car sooner than you think and if it’s anything like this new i3, then that will be very good news indeed.
-----------------------------------
LOGBOOK LOWDOWN
Model: BMW i3 94Ah
Price range: £27,830-£30,980
Motor: Electric - 94Ah (170bhp)
Power: 0 to 60mph in 7.3 seconds, 93mph top speed
Range: 195-276 miles (official)
CO2 emissions range: 0-12g/km
Rivals: Audi A3 e-tron, Shanks’ pony, VW Golf GTE
Rating: 9/10
Would you like to receive news notifications from Daily Express?