REx range extender engine
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How badly do you want to buy a BMW i3 electric car? Initially, it looked like you'd have to move to areas of California where Southern California Edison would be your electric utility. But soon enough, those areas expanded to other parts of California, some areas of New Jersey where PSE&G provides power, and now even other parts of the Mid-Atlantic region. DON'T MISS: How to buy or lease an electric car: advice from owner who's done it four times A program offered through April 30 gives PSE&G (New Jersey) and SCE (California) residential customers and employees $10,000 off the...
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2017 BMW i3 REx: drive review of range-extended electric car
When the history of modern electric cars is written, the BMW i3 will likely go down as something of an anomaly. Its carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic body shell, aluminum underpinnings, and battery-electric powertrain with an optional range extender are a combination not offered by any other maker...
John Voelcker -
Mazda all but confirms rotary range extender engine for electric car
How Mazda plans to integrate plug-in hybrid and battery-electric vehicles into its range of increasingly efficient gasoline and diesel models is a topic that interests parts of the global auto industry. In 2019, the small Japanese maker will offer a combustion-engine technology never before...
John Voelcker -
2018 BMW i3 electric car range adds sportier i3s version
While the 2018 BMW i3 will formally debut next week at the Frankfurt auto show, the company has released details ahead of time on the updates to the lineup of its compact electric car. While battery range stays the same as last year, a new i3s model (for Sport) has been added, with revised...
John Voelcker -
BMW i3 REx: owner's 3 years with range-extended electric car
This week, my 2014 i3 REx turned three years old; I picked it up on May 21, 2014. For the most part I’ve been very pleased with the car. It’s definitely not perfect, but then again no car is. It has fit my needs and driving demands perfectly and I only needed to drive on the range...
Tom Moloughney -
2018 BMW i3 preview (including battery rumors)
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...
John Voelcker -
The 2017 BMW i3 gets a larger battery pack and estimated 114-mile maximum range.
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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 -
BMW i3 REx range extender: owner assesses pros and cons of limited-power engine
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...
John Voelcker -
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 -
Peugeot tests Aquarius Engines electric-car range extender
PSA Peugeot Citroën is testing electric-car range extenders from Israeli startup Aquarius.
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 -
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 i5 to have range extender, use carbon-fiber body: product chief
Among the three German luxury brands, BMW was first out of the gate to build and sell a battery-electric car in volume. Its unusual and technically advanced i3 small hatchback, offered with an optional two-cylinder range-extending engine, makes up the bulk of its "i" sub-brand sales, joined by the...
John Voelcker -
Nissan To Launch Range-Extended Electric Vehicle In 2016: Report
Nissan will launch an extended-range electric vehicle distinct from the Leaf.
Stephen Edelstein -
Will Mazda Sports Car Concept Revive The Rotary As A Range Extender?
Mazda will unveil a rotary-powered sports car concept at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW To Make Whole Lineup Electric, With Range Extenders, AWD: Report
German carmaker BMW may be on the cusp of the most radical transformation in its history--one that will stun the auto industry if it comes to pass. If a report from early this year is accurate, the company plans to convert the bulk of its product lineup to electric power over the next 10 years...
John Voelcker -
If there were ever a brand-reset button in the automotive business, the BMW i3 electric car is it. It's both a compact hatchback and an all-electric car, from the brand that claims to build ultimate driving machines. How does it measure up to that lofty standard? Hi, I’m Joel Feder, and I’ll give you our verdict on the BMW i3 in our latest video road test. DON'T MISS: 2015 BMW i3 Electric Car Price Raised $1,000 To $43,350 Strip away the simulated twin-kidney grills and roundel badges, and you'd really never know the i3 is a BMW. It has skinny tires, and an odd side view with a...
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2014 BMW i3: Is Range Extended Version Outselling Battery Only?
The 2014 BMW i3 electric car has a unique feature offered by no other vehicle in the world: Buyers can choose to have it as a battery-electric vehicle, or add an optional range-extending engine that roughly doubles its rated electric range of 81 miles. With the i3 on sale now for two months, a mix...
John Voelcker -
BMW i3 REx Range-Extended Electric: No NJ Sales-Tax Exemption, Costing Owners Extra $3,000-Plus
Electric cars enjoy many incentives, from tax credits and purchase rebates through carpool-lane access, to encourage buyers to give them a try. But the range-extended model of the BMW i3 electric car turns out not to qualify for a state exemption from New Jersey's new-car sales tax--despite at...
John Voelcker -
2014 BMW i3 REx: Range-Extended Electric Car Drive Report, By Very First Owner
This past Wednesday, May 21, I picked up my shiny new 2014 BMW i3 REx range-extended electric car from JMK BMW in Springfield, New Jersey. The car, in Laurel Grey, was the first range-extended i3 delivered in North America, and I will always appreciate that BMW gave me the honor of being the first...
Tom Moloughney -
2014 BMW i3 REx Range-Extended Electric Car: On Hold At Ports (UPDATED)
The 2014 BMW i3 electric car is now in U.S. dealership, and early examples are eagerly being taken home by drivers--but, so far, only the battery-electric version is on sale. Despite hundreds of cars parked at multiple U.S. ports, the so-called i3 REx model, which includes an optional two-cylinder...
John Voelcker -
2014 BMW i3 Range-Extended Model Gets Full $2,500 CA Rebate For Electric Cars
It's clearly the week for news about the new and distinctive 2014 BMW i3 electric car. Yesterday, as the first cars arrived at dealers, we learned that it was rated at 81 miles of range (less than a 2014 Nissan Leaf's 84 miles), but operates at an unparalleled efficiency of 124 MPGe. Then, late...
John Voelcker