BMW Group showcased the production version of BMW i3 today. The new car was unveiled simultaneously in New York, London and Beijing. “Innovation drives change. The i3 is more than just a car. It’s a revolutionary step towards sustainable mobility. It is purpose-built around an electric power train to serve the needs of our megacity customers,” said Chairman of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Norbert Reithofer, at the world premiere in New York on Monday.
The BMW i3 is the BMW Group’s first pure electric series-produced model but has the same sporting genes as every BMW car. BMW claims that sustainability is a priority throughout the entire i3 value chain: “The BMW i3 sets a new benchmark for sustainable mobility in all stages of development and production, as well as aftersales,” said Friedrich Eichiner, Member of the Board of Management of BMW AG, Finance, at the unveiling of the BMW i3 in Beijing.
The new BMW i3 achieves a range of 130 to 160 kilometres. The BMW Group’s experience with test fleets of MINI E and BMW ActiveE cars has shown that a range of 130 to 160 km is quite sufficient for the vast majority of drivers. The average distance driven daily worldwide is no more than 64 km.
If desired, the BMW i3 is also available with a range-extender, which maintains the charge of the lithium-ion battery at a constant level enroute, as soon as it falls below a specified value. This is performed by a two-cylinder gasoline engine with 34 hp
(25 kW), mounted adjacent to the electric motor above the rear axle. The range extender increases the car’s maximum range in day-to-day driving to around 300 kilometres.
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