Tuesday 30th July 2013

Could you buy a BMW i3?

As the lengthy reveal for BMW's battery car ends, PH asks: could it tempt you into electric motoring?

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Could you buy a BMW i3? After months of hoopla surrounding this electric city car, we've finally been shown the production car ahead of sales later this year. Will any PHers be lining up?

And we thought the X1 was bad...

Here's what's in its favour. Chris Harris has already briefly driven an early version and was impressed. Given that one PHer went out and bought an M135i purely on the strength of his video, that might be enough.

The performance figures look good. The pure battery car will hit 62mph in 7.2 seconds with the range-extended version not far behind on 7.9 seconds, according to BMW. It's also rear-wheel drive. Top speed is 93mph and both produce 170hp.

We're even promised oversteer thanks to the dynamic traction control mode allowing a degree of slip "in particularly enthusiastic cornering". Now there's a Section 59 challenge...

It's impressively light at 1195kg for the electric version thanks to that carbon fibre body and an obsessive concern for weight saving which includes making screws and bolts from aluminum instead of steel.

Beautiful interior almost makes up for styling

The purchase cost is bordering on manageable. The new information is that the the range-extended car with the onboard 34hp 650cc two-cylinder engine is a reasonable £3,150 more than the pure battery one at £28,830. Although quite why when it costs 13 percent more to buy does it cost 30 percent more to lease at £480 per month vs. £369 for the battery car isn't explained.

Of course running costs are minimal and even the two-cylinder i3 is rated at just 13g/km of CO2, so there's no VED or congestion charge to pay. If you've got room to home-charge it costs just £315 to install the fast-charge box that fills up the battery to 80 percent from zero in three hours. Fully charged, you could theoretically run for 100 miles before expiring, boosted to a max of 186 miles for the range extender.

That interior is pretty cool too. Chris reckoned that to sit in one is to want one and we're told that the four different interior specs (sorry, "Worlds") of Standard, Loft, Lodge or Suite all feature natural materials including wood, natural fibres and leather.

White and biscuit unlikely to be a popular combo...

The ConnectedDrive infotainment system has the standard embedded SIM that will surely be the subject of many PH threads in years to come, but for the moment it looks pretty harmless and useful in bringing features such as sat nav planning that takes into account the range and offers public transport solutions for onward journeys from the charge point.

So what's bad, other than wider objections to electric motoring? The looks are never going to have anyone swooning. Measure the social skills of your friends by recording their adjectives used: royal protocol officers will describe it as 'interesting'.

Running costs might stretch higher than imagined too. For example those tall, skinny tyres measuring 155/70 R19 won't be cheap. You can source them now for about £80ish a corner, but all are space savers with a max speed of 50mph!

Yes this car is the future, but only to people who use the word 'megatrends' on a daily basis. To the rest of us it's an interesting talking point, but is that it? We'll be interested to know, would the i3 make you more likely to buy an electric car than before?

 

[mrclav]

Welcome to the future...

[Vocal Minority]

Unlike some, I really don't have a problem with electric technology.

It's not the 'answer', but it is interesteing to see where it is going.

My beef is the styling. Why do they need to be made to look so 'futury'. Its a bit try hard IMHO. But styling is subjective!

[thecremeegg]

This is the problem, they aren't the future so why waste time and money on the things? Why not spend more time on something like a hydrogen car or if they insist on sticking with electric then develop some better batteries?

[Krikkit]

I'd buy one if I had a lengthy city commute. I'm not really fussed about the looks, the interior looks nice, and the price isn't insane.

[Chris Y]

Short answer - NO!

[v8matt]

Personally, I think both the interior and exterior look great and yes, I'd buy one.

[anonymous-user]

No, but I will take an i8.

[Stew2000]

I would have to charge it 3-4 times a week..

[KTF]

Something like this or a Leaf really would be ideal for my commute/general car use at the moment.

The residuals are going to be interesting as it would be a brave person who buys one rather than leases.

[jaik]

I think these are the kinds of electric cars companies should be making. Hybrid hypercars and super-niche models like the Tesla Roadster aren't interesting or relevant. This is good enough to satisfy the needs of a lot of people and with the low company car tax should make a lot of financial sense to some. I hope it sells!

[Maldini35]

No.

Dumpy styling and not practical enough for my needs.
Just another city car for the tiny market to choose from. Bit of a waste of time.

[24630883]

Presumably it would qualify for the £5000 Govt Grant (25% off the cost of the car up to a maximum of £5,000) or is that price already taking this into account ?
https://www.gov.uk/plug-in-car-van-grants/overview

[nonuts]

The range itself would be okay for day to day use, however the main reason I have a car isn't for day to day use, it's when I want to enjoy the drive somewhere and it's normally way over 100miles away.

Also in our flats there is no way we could charge it.

As a city car for people that have / choose to drive short distances I guess they make sense, but does everyone in that situation have somewhere to charge them?

[car95]

Why does the styling have to be so odd (especially the rear)?

[fitz1985]

Vocal Minority said:

Unlike some, I really don't have a problem with electric technology.

It's not the 'answer', but it is interesting to see where it is going.

My beef is the styling. Why do they need to be made to look so 'futury'. Its a bit try hard IMHO. But styling is subjective!

My thoughts exactly, its horses for courses. I would have no objection to a range extended electric car really when they become a bit more mainstream and I've got an idea of reliability etc (as a 2nd / 3rd owner realistically). It would suit me pretty well, most days I'd run solely on electric to work an back at today's ranges (40 mile return trip), and be able to do a longer trip without inconvenience by using the range extender and just filling up the small tank as and when needed.

I do however feel the same about the styling of anything that is moving this way, just make it work with a standard looking car and it'll sell to people other than those wishing to make an explicit statement like 'I love wales and the environment and conveniently ignore lithium mining'. The Vauxhall Ampera actually does a really good job of being a 'normal' car.

I'd not really see it getting anywhere particularly until another source of energy storage is found, Lithium etc isn't a particularly viable option as the resources are limited, plus the environmental issues with it. What I would see working is a small petrol / diesel generator proving the power for an electric motor. A la atkinson cycle etc you could maximise the efficiency of this to provide the best all round solution available today, no range anxiety, greener emissions.

I'd still really more the complete loss of the ICE for the noise of a nice one and the feeling etc, however hopefully the future involves a very lo carbon / electric daily car for us interested and normal car for everyone else who just goes to a to b, and continue to have some small, lightweight fun ICE cars for us enthusiasts

[drivin_me_nuts]

No, not a chance. Even a daily commute of mine is 130 miles without traffic delays.

It may be the future, but until 'the future' offers a MINIMUM of a 400 mile charge then it's not happening for me. The future, for the foreseeable one at least is I suspect, one of ever more complex hybrids.

[Agoogy]

As BMW tend to challenge and lead, I think they be thinking that if they make the right car, then buyers will follow and the discussion as to whether it is the 'future' or the 'answer' is secondary to the fact that it is the present.
I'm on the fence styling wise, I like challenging futurist stuff, but it seems over wheel'd and narrow.
The interior looks stunning.
The performmace and range appear to be about right.
With all the electricity generation, battery life and global shipping of materials, it ain't green.

But it's funky, different and worlds apart from current Leaf/Insight/Prius dross...and thats a good thing...it'll also make Toyota/Honda/Nissan try harder and thats good too...

[The Moose]

So, I'd need to charge the car once on Monday at once and once on Friday (again at work) before going home for the weekend, maybe with a little top up during the week for good measure.

make the commute "free"...!

[kambites]

Yes, the prices in the article already take the government subsidy into account.

In answer to the question, no I wouldn't buy one. But then I wouldn't buy any city car or any new car so I'm not exactly the target market.

[miketree]

Extend the range further by keeping a spare can of fuel in the boot!