BMW i3 News
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The i3 is done in the U.S. after this summer and the 2021 model year, although both the i4 hatchback and iX SUV are due early in 2022.
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BMW has made 200,000 of its quirky i3 electric cars
The BMW i3 no longer signifies the future for the German automaker's electric-car efforts, but it 200,000 globally is a significant milestone.
Stephen Edelstein -
BMW i3 not dead yet, will get another range boost
BMW isn't willing to give up on the i3 yet. Another battery upgrade could help keep this uber-stylish city car relevant for road trips as well as in the city.
Byron Hurd -
2018 BMW i3 recalled for circuit-board issue causing sudden shutdowns
Just 159 examples of the 2018 BMW i3 electric-car range-extended EV are being recalled for an issue in which the car could suddenly lose power and shut down.
Bengt Halvorson -
Porsche already has a prototype that will charge faster than its 350-kw Taycan
The Porsche Taycan, when it arrives toward the end of 2019, will likely have the quickest, highest-power DC fast charging of any production vehicle. But Porsche apparently is already setting its sights higher. Yesterday, as part of a research consortium that includes BMW, it presented a prototype...
Bengt Halvorson -
Nothing comes close to Tesla: 2018 Q3 plug-in sales
Even with solid increases, other electric-car sales paled in comparison with numbers from Tesla in September and for the third quarter of 2018. The next highest sellers, were the Chevrolet Bolt EV, with 3,949 sales from July to September, and the Nissan Leaf just behind with 3,767 for the quarter...
Eric C. Evarts -
The 2019 BMW i3 will get a larger battery, good for 153 miles of range, up from 115 miles for the 2018 model, the automaker announced Friday. BMW refers to the new battery in the 2019 model as the 120 amp-hour battery, which delivers total energy storage of 42.2 kilowatt-hours with the i3's 350-volt high-voltage power system. The new battery will be offered across the board in the i3 as well as i3s models, with the range extender gas engine and without. CHECK OUT: Supplier tests compact 100-kwh battery pack in BMW i3 BMW says it'll offer 153 miles of range in the base i3 without the range...
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Nissan Leaf, BMW i3, VW e-Golf compared to Renault Zoe: what UK test reveals
British magazine Auto Express has conducted a full, head-to-head comparison test of the new Leaf with its most direct competitors: the Volkswagen eGolf, BMW i3s, and the European Renault Zoe
Eric C. Evarts -
More ways to get $10K off BMW i3 electric car: new utilities add discount
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...
John Voelcker -
2018 BMW i3s first drive review: sportier and nearly as efficient
BMW's Test Fest in Palm Springs, California, at The Thermal Club attracts a broad range of cars. The star of the show is the 600-horsepower 2018 BMW M5. But before I can test that wild sport sedan on the track, I’ll do my best to balance my carbon footprint in the new 2018 BMW i3s. BMW has...
Kirk Bell -
Today's BMW i3 to evolve into lower-tech, higher-volume 2022 BMW iX1 SUV: report
Model naming conventions that are clear, consistent, and easy to understand across decades are a crucial part of explaining a vehicle lineup to buyers. By and large, German makers are good at arraying their lineups of sedans (and now SUVs) in "series" or "classes" that run from smallest to largest...
John Voelcker -
2018 BMW i3s: range, efficiency lower for sportier model of electric car
As a given generation of any vehicle ages, German companies in particular often spice up the allure of the aging car with new and sportier versions. Porsche is a master at rolling out new versions of its models across the entire life of a generation, but BMW has learned the trick too. Thus in the...
John Voelcker -
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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BMW i3 electric car sales stopped, future recall announced for specific safety concern (updated)
An obscure safety issue has led to a halt in sales of the BMW i3 electric car until further notice. The German maker announced a recall for every single i3 sold in the United States, covering 30,542 cars from the 2014 to 2018 model year. The safety issue that led to the recall and stop-sale follows...
Sean Szymkowski -
Don't be fooled: only some electric cars are sold nationwide, even now
Almost seven years after modern electric cars entered the mass market, there are now more than two dozen battery-electric and plug-in hybrid models on sale in the U.S. But that impressive number shouldn't disguise a fundamental truth about those vehicles: only about half of them are widely...
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 -
2017 electric cars with more than 100 miles of range (updated)
These are the 2017 electric cars with more than 100 miles of range.
Stephen Edelstein -
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 -
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 ago. That car was regrettably totaled in an accident this year, and i3 enthusiast Moloughney is temporarily without a car that plugs in. DON'T MISS: BMW i3 REx: owner's 3 years with range-extended electric car He's relatively well-known among electric-car advocates, however, and someone within GM had...
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San Diego utility offers $10,000 off Nissan Leaf, BMW i3 electric cars
For southern California residents, it's an excellent time to start considering the purchase of a BMW i3 or Nissan Leaf electric car. San Diego Gas & Electric has joined a host of other utility companies in the state in offering incentives towards the purchase of an i3 or a Leaf. In total, the...
Sean Szymkowski -
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 -
What IS 'one-pedal driving' in an electric car?
One-pedal driving is rather like the experience of owning an electric car: it can be hard to appreciate until you've spend time doing it. The phrase "one-pedal driving" refers to the ability of some electric cars to be driven almost entirely with the accelerator pedal alone. It's a feature much...
John Voelcker -
After Audi e-tron, next electric car to be compact BMW i3 competitor
Next year, the Audi e-tron luxury electric crossover is expected to arrive at U.S. dealers, bringing Audi into direct competition with the Tesla Model X roughly three years after the world's first all-electric utility vehicle went into production. But with a pledge to sell 25 percent of its cars...
John Voelcker -
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