BMW i3 REx
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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, now or perhaps ever. We spent four days and 316 miles with a new 2017 BMW i3 REx model this past August, and have been mulling over our impressions of the car ever since. DON'T MISS: BMW i3 REx: owner's 3 years with range-extended electric car Our test 2017 BMW i3 came with the optional REx...
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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 -
BMW i3 electric car quirk: no AM radio offered, but why? (update)
The BMW i3 electric car is a tour de force of advanced engineering--and it was the most energy-efficient car sold in the U.S. in 2014 and 2015. Its body shell is made of carbon-fiber reinforced plastic, riding on an aluminum platform containing the lithium-ion battery, the electric motor, and the...
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 -
Chevy Bolt EV reviewed by BMW i3 driver: electric cars compared
Owners of specific electric cars sometimes tend to become boosters and fans for their particular EV as well as plugging in to drive in general. So it was with Tom Moloughney, whose purchase of the very first 2014 BMW i3 REx range-extended electric car in the U.S. he wrote about for us three years...
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 -
Recent patent filings suggest Mazda’s next Wankel engine will equip a battery-powered car, not a rear-wheel drive heir to emblematic sports coupes like its RX-7 and RX-8. Mazda has invested more time and money into the rotary engine than any other automaker, so executives are reluctant to let it fade away into history. While the RX-8 has been out of production for five years, the rotary remains a significant part of the company’s heritage. The patent highlights how a brand-new rotary engine could play a role in accelerating the shift towards electric mobility by helping alleviate...
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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 -
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 -
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 -
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 -
A BMW i3 REx owner recounts 27 months with the range-extended electric car.
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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 -
BMW i3 REx electric-car lawsuit: range-extender power loss alleged
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...
John Voelcker -
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 -
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 -
BMW i3 Electric Car To Get Longer Range Next Year, CEO Says
The BMW i3 will get more range next year, and will eventually be followed by another "i" model, BMW's CEO says.
Stephen Edelstein -
The BMW i3 REx model is an unusual beast, the sole example to date of a car built specifically to comply with California regulations that define it as a zero-emission electric car even though it has a range-extending engine. That's because its gasoline range (EPA-rated at 78 miles) is more or less equivalent to its battery range (EPA-rated at 72 miles). How does BMW manage that? By restricting drivers' ability to fill its tiny gas tank to a minimal 1.9 gallons (7.2 liters). DON'T MISS: BMW i3 Electric Car: Why California Set Range Requirements, Engine Limits That restriction in turn...
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2016 Chevy Volt EPA Ratings: 53-Mile Electric Range, 42 MPG On Gas
The 2016 Chevrolet Volt plug-in hybrid has been rated by the EPA at 53 miles of electric range, a nice boost on Chevy's earlier promise of "at least 50 miles." The EPA also rates the 2016 Volt at 42 mpg combined when the engine is running, and 106 Miles Per Gallon Equivalent combined when operating...
John Voelcker -
BMW Targets Twice As Many Electric-Car Sales This Year
BMW hopes to increase sales of both the i3 and i8.
Stephen Edelstein -
2015 BMW i3 Video Road Test
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...
Joel Feder -
2015 BMW i3 Electric Car Price Raised $1,000 To $43,350
BMW adds standard DC fast charging, satellite radio, and heated front seats to the i3 for 2015.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i Electric Car Sales Surge For 2014; More To Come, Company Says
Introduced in Germany late in 2013, and on sale in North America starting last May, the BMW i3 electric car has produced sales figures higher than some analysts expected. Now the carmaker has said that it sold more than 16,000 i3s during calendar 2014, putting the little electric minicar among the...
John Voelcker