The BMW i3 may seem just like a luxury EV model that would compete with other EVs that don’t have a gasoline backup to help offer better overall range, but it has this ability as well. The i3 when offered as only an EV takes the Fiat 500e, VW eGolf and Nissan Leaf to task with better range and advanced technology to give you some of what BMW has to offer. With the gasoline powered motor/generator this car is a plug-in hybrid that competes with the Chevy Volt and Audi A3 Sportback e-tron to give more than what either of these offer.
With the fact that the i3 is one of the most impressive EV or plug-in hybrid vehicles on the market today you’ll love the way this car provides you with the features you want and gives you a stylish and eco-friendly car to drive. This is a unique car to drive and offers you the fun of driving a BMW in a way that makes a huge difference. For 2017 the i3 has a new and more efficient battery to give you 114 miles of EV driving which is an improvement of more than 50 percent over the previous battery pack.
What makes this car stand above the others? Other than the numbers that are more impressive than most of the other models, this is a BMW and that means dynamic driving manners and the ability to take on the road and leave it behind with a smile. This lightweight car can be the one you love to drive the most as it offers you the efficiency you want, the zero emissions powertrain to be eco-friendly and the range that will get you wherever you need to go to be the perfect car for you to drive.
Looking to the powertrain of the i3 we see this car has a hybrid synchronous electric motor and a 22 kWh lithium-ion battery. This gives us a car that has 170 horsepower and 184 lb.-ft. of torque. This setup uses a single speed transmission set up in RWD to give you 80 miles of driving range on the 60 Ah battery and 114 miles when using the 94 Ah battery. The range extender uses a 650 cc gasoline engine that has a capacity of only 2.4 gallons to give you an additional 35 miles of distance as it charges the battery while you drive. Charging only takes three hours when using a 240 volt outlet and over 20 hours when a standard outlet is the power source.
Because this is a BMW you expect to have some great trims to enjoy and because it’s part of the i-family from BMW it carries some interesting names. The three trims offered are called worlds and they are named Mega, Giga and Tera (kind of fitting for the modern age). The base Mega trim offers you a navigation system, LED headlights, 19-inch wheels, Comfort Access, a DC fast charging port, heated seats, SensaTec leather upholstery and the BMW ConnectedDrive technology. The Giga world adds a leather and wool interior and the Tera model adds full leather, 19-inch forged alloy wheels, a leather covered dashboard and Dark Oak or Light Eucalyptus wood trim.
The options you can have on this car include more than just a range extender. This car can be upgraded to be more comfortable and enjoyable with a 12-speaker/360-watt Harman/Kardon audio system, the Navigation Professional System, real-time traffic, Traffic Jam Assist, a power moonroof, forward collision warning, pedestrian detection, an automatic parking system, and a collision mitigation feature to help you avoid an accident.
Starting at the base model with the smaller battery you have a price of $43,395 that you’ll pay for the i3. Moving up to the larger battery you enjoy the extended range and a price that only moves up to $44,595 which is increased to $48,445 when the Range Extender is installed. This is a vehicle that is eligible for federal tax credits to be a car that you can enjoy a great savings on.
The i3 could be the perfect car for you to drive. It offers plenty of range, good seating and a full package of modern BMW features for you to enjoy. Come check one out at your nearby BMW dealer today.
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