BMW i3

BMW i3 and i8 have a lot in common and we are not just talking about the fact that both of them are battery-powered EVs. BMW i3 commands a certain road presence which was earlier only limited to supercars. Other than the futuristic, spaceship-like design language, the 2019 BMW i3, and its sportier iteration the i3S also happen to be very well equipped. The 2019 i3 only gets 153 miles of combined EPA estimated all-electric driving range which is far inferior to that offered by the Tesla Model 3 and Chevrolet Bolt. To address this, the Bavarian carmaker also offers a two-cylinder range extender version which uses a gasoline engine in the i3 and the same is not an option offered in either the Model 3 for the Chevrolet Bolt EV.

The 153 miles per charge all-electric driving range comes as a courtesy of a larger capacity battery pack which has been offered by the BMW in the i3 for the first time in the 2019 model. Other firsts in the 2019 model include an updated software for the standard navigation system and LED headlights with cornering lamps. The 2019 BMW i3 also gets optional extras like automatic high beams, Wi-Fi hotspot, and wireless smartphone charging tray. Inside the cabin, we find BMW’s iDrive 6 infotainment interface which comes with Apple CarPlay as standard but customers will have to subscribe to an annual service after the first year. 

The infotainment system does not get Android Auto and other features like power points are also not offered in the i3. The rear-seat passengers also do not get any USB ports whereas the front passengers have to make do with only a single USB charger. The 2019 BMW i3 is available in 4 variants which include the standard base model i3, priced at $44,450 followed by the range extender i3 model that comes with a $48,300 price tag and then there are the performance variants. The sporty i3S performance model also gets a range extender version which is priced at $51,500 whereas the standard i3S model gets a $47,650 price tag.

Both standard BMW i3 and i3S variants are powered by the same 42 kWh high voltage battery which can be fully charged in under 6 hours. All BMW i3 models are rear-wheel drive and the i3 offers 170 BHP of power which helps it accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds in the standard variant and it takes 8 seconds to complete the same sprint in the range-extender version. The i3S model offers 181 BHP of power and takes 6.8 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in the standard model whereas the range extender version takes 7.6 seconds to do the same.

Even though BMW i3 made its debut back in in 2014, almost half a decade ago, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has not gotten around to crash testing it yet. The i3 also did not fare well in the test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Not only did the institute not pick the 2019 i3 as its top safety pick, but the car also failed to get a good rating for its seats and head restraints which is rare in modern-day cars. However, some safety features available on the i3 include automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and forward-collision warning.