There may be disquiet about its gentle rate of climb, but the electric car has – at last, once and for always – taken off.Its presence can no longer be ignored. Experts are already predicting the year when EVs will account for a million registrations around the world.MattSaundersDeputy road test editorBMW's Mini E was a precursor to the creation of this, the new i3Some say that it’ll take a decade; others that it’ll happen sooner. Some can even see the day when 'plug-in' cars will account for one in every 10 sold.A roll call of a few of the big introductions of 2013 shows what’s behind the breakthrough. The Renault Zoe proved that EVs can be cheap, the Tesla Model S that they can be grand and the Porsche 918 Spyder that they can be supercars. It’s as if every new example represents a significant step forward for the breed.And here comes another one: the i3, the first battery-powered series production BMW. It is the battery car done with evident freedom, imagination and commitment and then draped in European premium-brand allure.BMW has not dabbled in mass-production electric cars before the i3 (and its sister car, the hybrid i8). However, the programme that spawned these models – Project i – does provide direct antecedents.The first phase included the Mini E, which offered a remarkably similar range and performance to the i3 and began field testing in 2009. This was succeeded in the second phase by the ActiveE, a 1-series that previewed the i3's electric motor and entered two years of global testing in 2012 with a fleet of 1100 cars.BMW's i3, then, represents the sum total of all that was learned in that lengthy and studious process. Two versions are offered. The first is a pure electric version with a range of between 80 and 100 miles.The second is the BMW i3 Range Extender, which offers the same all-electric powertrain but with the addition of an on-board petrol-powered generator. So, when the battery becomes depleted, the generator fires up to ensure that you can continue your journey.Could there be a better invitation than the BMW i3 to take the plunge on zero-emissions motoring? You’re about to find out.[EXTRACT]#EANF#
Friday, August 29, 2014
BMW i3 review
There may be disquiet about its gentle rate of climb, but the electric car has – at last, once and for always – taken off.Its presence can no longer be ignored. Experts are already predicting the year when EVs will account for a million registrations around the world.MattSaundersDeputy road test editorBMW's Mini E was a precursor to the creation of this, the new i3Some say that it’ll take a decade; others that it’ll happen sooner. Some can even see the day when 'plug-in' cars will account for one in every 10 sold.A roll call of a few of the big introductions of 2013 shows what’s behind the breakthrough. The Renault Zoe proved that EVs can be cheap, the Tesla Model S that they can be grand and the Porsche 918 Spyder that they can be supercars. It’s as if every new example represents a significant step forward for the breed.And here comes another one: the i3, the first battery-powered series production BMW. It is the battery car done with evident freedom, imagination and commitment and then draped in European premium-brand allure.BMW has not dabbled in mass-production electric cars before the i3 (and its sister car, the hybrid i8). However, the programme that spawned these models – Project i – does provide direct antecedents.The first phase included the Mini E, which offered a remarkably similar range and performance to the i3 and began field testing in 2009. This was succeeded in the second phase by the ActiveE, a 1-series that previewed the i3's electric motor and entered two years of global testing in 2012 with a fleet of 1100 cars.BMW's i3, then, represents the sum total of all that was learned in that lengthy and studious process. Two versions are offered. The first is a pure electric version with a range of between 80 and 100 miles.The second is the BMW i3 Range Extender, which offers the same all-electric powertrain but with the addition of an on-board petrol-powered generator. So, when the battery becomes depleted, the generator fires up to ensure that you can continue your journey.Could there be a better invitation than the BMW i3 to take the plunge on zero-emissions motoring? You’re about to find out.[EXTRACT]#EANF#
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