BMW i3 News
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This year's updated BMW i3 electric car is only just arriving at U.S. dealerships after a battery-capacity boost that gives it longer range. But already some details of the 2018 BMW i3 have leaked out, in the form of spy photos and further rumors about more battery capacity yet. Unlike our usual previews based on manufacturer releases, then, consider this more of an educated guess at what the 2018 i3 will look like. SEE SPY SHOTS: 2018 BMW i3 spy shots And bear in mind that some changes, perhaps a higher-capacity battery, may be held over to the 2019 model year for U.S. buyers. The first...
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BMW i3 plug-in hybrid recall to fix fuel-vapor problem, fire concerns
BMW is recalling more than 19,000 i3 REx extended-range electric cars due to concerns over the potential for fires to be started by fuel vapors. The REx uses a small gasoline engine to charge its battery pack, offering a longer range than the all-electric i3 when both gasoline and electric power...
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3, Tesla Model S electric cars miss top IIHS safety ratings
Two of the most prominent electric cars have missed out on the highest award given for vehicle safety by the influential IIHS: Top Safety Pick+. Funded by the insurance industry, the IIHS—which operates independently of the federal government—says that neither the BMW i3 nor the Tesla...
Andrew Ganz -
At 133 MPGe, Toyota Prius Prime wallops BMW i3 on energy efficiency
Move over, BMW: there's a new efficiency champion in town this year—and you'll have to give back that laurel wreath you've worn since 2014. Last week, final EPA fuel-efficiency results were released for the 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid. When running in all-electric mode, that car is...
John Voelcker -
2017 BMW i3 preview
The 2017 BMW i3 gets a larger battery pack and estimated 114-mile maximum range.
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 BMW i3 REx: 97-mile electric range, lower efficiency for range-extended model
The 2017 BMW i3 REx has an electric range of 97 miles, and total range of 180 miles, according to its window sticker.
Stephen Edelstein -
The BMW i3 electric car may be the most ambitious small car of recent years, bristling with new technology and innovation. Its carbon-fiber reinforced plastic body shell rides on an aluminum platform, and its all-electric powertrain may include an optional small engine. The battery-electric i3 also happens to be the most energy-efficient vehicle of the many hundreds sold in the U.S. this year. DON'T MISS: The '1,000-MPG' BMW i3: 56,000 miles on 50 gallons of gas That optional range extender (REx for short) is used solely to power a generator that delivers electricity to the battery and the...
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The '1,000-MPG' BMW i3: 56,000 miles on 50 gallons of gas
A BMW i3 REx owner recounts 27 months with the range-extended electric car.
Stephen Edelstein -
Are 100-mile BMW, Nissan, VW electric cars already a lost cause?
The continuing tepid sales of the Nissan Leaf electric car, despite a range upgrade to 107 miles, remains one of the puzzles in the plug-in car market. Sure, it's an aging model now in its sixth year with a polarizing design; it lost a huge swath of buyers in Georgia when that state canceled its...
John Voelcker -
BMW electric-car batteries to be used as home energy-storage devices
BMW will use i3 battery packs for home energy storage.
Stephen Edelstein -
2017 BMW i3 electric car: longer-range battery, but current 81-mile model to stay
The 2017 BMW i3 may be offered with two battery-pack options.
Stephen Edelstein -
LA police to buy 100 BMW i3 electric cars for department use
The LAPD will buy 100 BMW i3 electric cars after testing one for a few months.
Stephen Edelstein -
The BMW i3 is the only electric car in the world sold with an optional range-extending engine to increase driving capability beyond the range provided by the battery. The "REx" option adds a small, 34-horsepower 650cc two-cylinder engine, derived from one used in BMW motorcycles, that powers a generator. And as most owners of the BMW i3 REx model know—or learn while on the road—under a few circumstances, the small engine can't always provide enough electricity to the car to meet the highest demands. DON'T MISS: 2014 BMW i3 Electric Car: Why California Set Range Requirements...
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2017 BMW i3: up to 114 miles of range from 50-percent battery increase
For its fourth year on the market, the 2017 BMW i3 electric car gets a huge boost in battery capacity and hence its EPA-rated range. The battery capacity rises 50 percent, from 22 to 33 kilowatt-hours, and the company says the rated range for the battery-electric version will be up to 114 miles...
John Voelcker -
BMW i3 wasn't German maker's first innovative electric car
The BMW E1 electric car was introduced at the 1991 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Stephen Edelstein -
Four new (or updated) electric cars coming for 2017
Among battery electric cars on sale in the U.S., only three vehicles have sold more than 10,000 copies since 2010: the Nissan Leaf, Tesla Model S, and BMW i3. But four new or updated models coming for the 2017 model year may change those equations. The most eagerly awaited new 2017 electric car is...
John Voelcker -
BMW ReachNow car-sharing service offers i3 electric cars in Seattle
BMW re-launches its car-sharing service in the U.S. with a new name and other changes.
Stephen Edelstein -
Consumer Reports: avoid buying used 2014 BMW i3 electric cars
The 2014 BMW i3 makes Consumer Reports' "Used Cars to Avoid Buying" list.
Stephen Edelstein -
Electric cars and organized religion aren't necessarily seen as fellow travelers, but one megachurch is bridging the two in pursuit of its mission. The Resurrection Fellowship Church in Loveland, Colorado, has installed a charging station in its parking lot--and its pastor, Jonathan Wiggins, has leased a BMW i3 electric car for his personal use. The church plans to add a second charging station, giving the ability to charge four cars simultaneously, for the use of its parishioners, employees, and the public at large. DON'T MISS: Recharge As You Revere: Charge At Church, It Pays To Praise (Dec...
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Why A 2015 BMW i3 REx Replaced My 2013 Chevy Volt: Electric-Car Evolution
The car most comparable to the first Chevrolet Volt is the current BMW i3 fitted with the optional REx range-extending engine. Both cars run entirely in electric mode until their battery packs are depleted, unlike other plug-in hybrids which switch on their engines under maximum power demand. But...
Green Car Reports -
What Is It With Electric Cars And Star Wars Stormtroopers Anyway?
There it was, in one corner of the Fiat display at last week's Los Angeles Auto Show: an odd black-and-white Fiat 500e electric car. On closer inspection, it proved to be the custom-painted "Fiat 500e Stormtrooper" ... though it's not clear that would have been obvious at first glance. Why this...
John Voelcker -
2017 BMW i3 Electric Car: 100- To 110-Mile Range, Battery Pack Retrofit?
BMW may boost the range of its i3 electric car, and offer a battery-pack retrofit for older cars.
John Voelcker -
Some BMW i3 Electric-Car Owners Get Expanded Free Fast Charging
As DC fast-charging networks emerge as a crucial battleground for long-range electric cars, BMW will expand its ChargeNow program for owners of its i3 electric hatchback. Announced last week at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the expanded program will give those drivers access to 500 additional DC...
John Voelcker -
BMW i3 'Shadow Sport' Limited Edition Electric Car Offers Moonroof At Last
The BMW i3 Shadow Sport debuted ahead of the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.
Stephen Edelstein